DIBELS Next Student Materialspsddifferentiation.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/9/6/... · Making a Comic Book Comic books feature many of the world’s most popular characters. Superheroes,

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 6

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 L6/Progress Monitoring 1

Kilimanjaro

OntheeastcoastofAfricaliesoneoftheworld’smostfamous

mountains.Oncedescribedas“wideasalltheworld,great,highand

unbelievablywhiteinthesun,”MountKilimanjaroistrulymajestic.

Kilimanjaroisanespeciallydramaticmountainbecauseitstandsalone

onarelativelyflatplainorsavannah.Kilimanjaroisthehighestmountain

inAfrica.Itissotallthatithasitsownweathersystem.Thebaseofthe

mountainisovertwentymileswideanditismorethanthirtymileslong.

IfyouwerehundredsofmilesawaylookingtowardMount

Kilimanjaro,youwouldseethesurroundingplainsstretchingoffintothe

distance.Lookingupfromtheplainsyouwouldseethecloudshighin

thesky.Abovetheclouds,likealandapart,youwouldseethetophalfof

themountainrisingmajesticallyaboveyou.

Climbingthemountaincanbeverychallenging.Inpreparation,

youmustbereadytohikealldaycarryingalargeloadonyourback.To

reachthesummit,youmustcarryenoughwater,foodandequipmentfor

sixdays.Inaddition,yourbodymustbereadyforthehighaltitudes.If

yougetaltitudesickness,youwillneedtohikedownquicklyasyourisk

becomingverysick.

Therearefiveecologicalzonesonthemountain.Youbeginyourhike

inthefirstzone.Theplainsthatsurroundthemountainhaveabundant

lakesandforestsaswellasawetanddryseason.Fromthesavannah

youmoveintoalushtropicalrainforest.Astheairaroundthemountain

risesandcools,itreleasesitsrainontheforest.Wildlifeaboundsinthe

rainforest,includingmonkeysandstunningtropicalbirds.

Nextistheheatherzone,anareawithlowevergreenshrubs,

followedbythehighdesertzone.Alongthewayyouwillpasshigh

mountainlakesandglaciers.Finally,youwillreachthebarrensummit

zonethatlookslikethesurfaceofthemoon.Ifeveryoureachthetop

ofMountKilimanjaro,youwillhaveexperiencedanunforgettable

adventure.


Benchmark 3


No Dirt Required

Greenplantsarethefoundationoflifeonourplanet.Manyanimals

eatonlyplants,andpeopledependonplantsforfood.Mostoftheplants

thatsurroundusgrowinsoil.Plantstemsneedsoilforsupport,sothey

canstanduprightandgetenoughsunlight.Plantrootsextendintothesoil

toreachthewaterandnutrientstheplantsrequire.Asyoucanimagine,

growingenoughfoodfortheentireplanet’spopulationrequiresabundant

landandwater.

Soilcontainsmineralsandsaltsthatplantsneedtogrow.Whenit

rains,thesenutrientsdissolveinthewater,andareabsorbedbytheroots

ofplants.Then,withthepropernutrientsandtherightamountofwater

andsolarenergyfromthesun,photosynthesisenablesplantstoproduce

theirownfood.

Sometimeago,peoplediscoveredsomethingastonishing:plantscan

thrivewithoutbeingplantedinsoil!Growingplantsinwaterinsteadof

soiliscalledhydroponics.“Hydro”meanswater,and“ponos”means

work,so“hydroponics”meansworkingwater.Plantrootsarefeda

liquidsolutionofmineralsandsaltsthataredissolvedinwater.Howdo

hydroponicplantssupportthemselveswithoutanysoil?Theplantsare

hunginanetaboveatrayorbucketofsolution,withtheirrootsdangling

inthesolution.

Largenumbersofhydroponicplantscanbegrowninagreenhouse,

whichusesmuchlesslandthangrowingplantsinsoil.Onesurprising

factisthatgrowingvegetablesinwateractuallysaveswaterbecausethe

solutioncanbereusedmanytimesbyjustaddingmineralsandnutrients.

Inaddition,scientistsarelearninghowtousehydroponicstomake

vegetablesmorenutritiousforpeople.

Peopleliketohavefreshvegetables,suchastomatoes,allyear

round,notjustintheseasonwhentheygrowintheirarea.Manyareas

oftheworldhaveverypoorsoilthatisnotsuitedforgrowingplants,

andotherareasdon’thavetheproperclimate.Withhydroponics,people

aroundtheglobecanhavefreshvegetableswhenevertheywantthem.


Benchmark 3


Making a Comic Book

Comicbooksfeaturemanyoftheworld’smostpopularcharacters.

Superheroes,suchasSupermanorBatman,arepopularcomicbook

characters.Ifyou’reinterestedincreatingyourowncomicbook,hereare

somesuggestionstogetstarted.

First,brainstormsometopicsforyourcomicbook.Maybeyou

wanttowriteaboutasuperherostoppinganevilvillain’splanforworld

domination.Perhapsyouwanttotellaboutaresourcefulexplorer,ora

groupoffriendsinvestigatingamystery.Comeupwithaplotandtry

tostructureyourstorysoyouknowapproximatelywhatyouwantto

happenoneachpage.Don’tworryaboutgettingitperfectjustyet.

Whenyou’vedecidedonthecontentandstructureofyourcomic,

experimentwithdifferentappearances.Youcaninvestigatedifferent

drawingstylesandcomeupwithdifferentlooksforyourcharacters.It’s

agoodideatopracticedrawingyourcharactersfromdifferentanglesso

thatyou’llbeabletodrawthemconsistentlyinyourcomicbook.

Nowyoucanbegintomakeyourcomic.Planoutwhatshould

happenineachpanelanddrawthepanelborders.Don’tstartsketching

untilyou’veaddedthetalkballoonsandatleastsketchedinthetext.

Thisway,youwon’trunoutofspaceforyourdialogue,andyou’llbe

abletodrawaroundthetextsonoimportantdetailsinthepictureget

obscured.Whenyoudostarttodraw,sketchlightlyatfirst.Drawingand

re-drawingcanmakeyourworklookmessyifyourlinesaretoodark.

Whenyoursketchesaredone,youcanoutlinetheminink.This

helpsgiveyourcomicitsstyleandpersonality,andcanmakeyour

drawingsstandout.Playaroundwithusingdifferentthicknessesofinkto

definefeaturesandoutlines.

Soon,yourcomicbookwillbedone.Ifyouwant,youcanmake

copiesandgivethemtofriends.Maybeyou’llevenwanttomakea

series,soyoucanfollowyourcharactersandtheiradventuresthrough

morecomics.


Benchmark 3


Bike and Build

Everysummer,groupsofyoungpeopletravelonbicyclestoearn

moneyforagoodcause.ThesebicyclistsarepartofBikeandBuild.

BikeandBuildisanannualeventintheUnitedStatesthatraisesmoney

tobuildhomesforlow-incomefamilies.ThecyclistsbeginontheEast

CoastandtakeseparateroutestotheWestCoast.Inthefirstyearof

BikeandBuild,thereweretworoutes.Everyyearbringsanadditional

route.RoutesrangefromonealmosthuggingtheCanadianborderto

onetravelingthroughthecountry’ssouthernmoststates.Theparticipants

pedalaroundseventymilesadayalmostdailyfortwomonthsandcover

severalthousandmiles.

Eachgrouphasthirtystudents,andeachstudentmustraiseacertain

amountofmoneyaheadoftime.Thefundsaredonatedtohelpbuild

affordablehomesincommunitiesaroundthecountry.Thegroupsride

fromtowntotownandstayovernightinchurchesorcommunitycenters.

Localresidentswelcomeandfeedthem.Severaltimesthroughoutthe

trip,thecyclistsstopbrieflytohelpbuildhomes.Atthosesites,they

learnallaboutthepreparationandworkrequiredforbuildingahome.

Thecyclistsmakesuretotalktopeopletheymeetontheirtripabout

theirgroupandtheneedforaffordablehousing.Eachriderisresponsible

forgivingapresentationatastopalongthewaytotalkaboutthecause.

Theriderstherebyraiseawarenessabouttheirefforts,andraisemore

moneyforbuildingmorehomes.

Buyingahouseiscostly,andmanydeservingfamiliesneedalittle

financialhelpsotheycanliveinagood,safeplace.Buildinghouses

allowsfamiliestoenjoythesecurityofhavingtheirownhome.Inthis

way,thepeoplewhorideinBikeandBuildarechanginglivesforthe

better.


Benchmark 3


Subway Musician

Iwastakingthesubwayhomefromschool.Walkingdownthestairs

leadingtothesubway,Icouldhearthefamiliarsquealofbrakesand

rumbleofcars.WhenIreachedtheplatform,twoflightsdown,Iputmy

tokenintheslotattheturnstiles.Icouldhearthefaintsoundofmusic

amidthesquealofbrakesandrumbleofpassingtrains.Iturnedthe

cornerandwalkedontotheplatformforuptowndepartures.Thesilver

carsshootingpastproducedgustsofwindthatmademyshirttailsflap.

Ontheplatform,somepeopleslouchedonbenches,somestood;

manywerereadingnewspapers,seeminglyunawareoftheworldaround

them.Ilocatedthesourceofthemusic.Acheerfulperformersituated

neartheoppositewallwassingingandaccompanyinghimselfona

steeldrum.Cladinjeansandatropicalshirt,hehadalertdarkeyes

andstrandsoflong,blackhair.Hissongwasanongoingnarrationof

everythingheobservedontheplatform,expressedwithagentlegood

humor.

Themanjokedandsmiledwhilehesang.Iwonderedaboutwhere

helived,andwhathedidwhenhewasn’tperformingforsubway

commuters.Didhehaveanotheroccupation?Heobservedmewatching

himandnoddedpleasantlywhilelaunchingintoanewsong.Iwaseven

featuredinhisnextverse,“Travelerwatchingme,I’mwatchinghim.”

Justthenthreelightscameoutoftheblacknessaroundacurve,and

shoneonthetilewallsofthetunnel.Thepeoplewhoweresittingstood

andfoldedtheirpapers.Thetrainstoppedandpeoplebeganboarding.

Thesingerinitiatedanewsonginwhichhewishedhappiness

andgoodfortunetothepeopleboardingthesubway.AsIboardedthe

subwayandlookedbackattheplatform,themanwaved,butIcouldn’t

hearhisvoiceanymoreagainstthenoiseofthetrainleavingthestation.I

couldstillseehim,though,smilingandsingingaswedeparted.


Benchmark 3


Sailing on Land

Ifyouhadtocrossalargeexpanseofdesert,howwouldyouchoose

todoit?Walkingwouldbeunthinkable,andacamelmightbedifficultto

findandachallengetoride.Whatiftherewasaboatpoweredbythehot

desertwindsthatyoucouldsailacrossthedesert?

Youmaybesurprisedtolearnthereissuchamethodof

transportation.Youmayalsobeamazedtodiscoverthatthesekindsof

vehicleshaveexistedforcenturies.Theyarereferredtoassailwagonsor

landyachts.

Sailwagons,likeboats,arepoweredbythewindintheirsails.Like

wagons,theyhavewheels,althoughusuallyjustthree.Thetwolarge

wheelsinfrontwithonesmallerwheelinbackformatriangle,similar

totheshapeofsomesailboats.Thelandyachtcaptain,calledapilot,sits

orliesdowninthebodyofthevehicleandcontrolsthesailstocatchthe

prevailingwinds.Heorsheusespedalsorleverstosteerthevehicle.

LandyachtswereinitiallyinventedinancientEgyptwherethey

wereusedforpureenjoymentandtoentertainguests.Funisstill

important,butlandsailinghasevolved.Today,itismainlyacompetitive

racingsportheldonavarietyofhardsurfaces,suchaspackedsandand

pavement.LandsailingracesincoldercountriessuchasCanadatake

placeonvastexpansesofice,therebyturningthelandyachtintoan

iceboat.

Somelandsailorsparticularlyenjoythequietpowerofthewind.

Otherslovethepeaceandsolitudeofferedbysailing.Mostpilotslove

thespeedandcantravelattwotofivetimesthespeedofthewindon

landanduptoeighttimesthespeedofthewindonice.That’smoving

prettyfast!


Benchmark 3


Let’s Look at Asia

Acontinentisanareaoflandthatissetapart,ordistinct,fromother

landmasses.TherearesevencontinentsonEarth,andthelargestofthose

isAsia.Thishugeregionalsohasthemostpeople,withmorethan60

percentoftheworld’stotalpopulation.IfyoulookatamapofAsia,you

willseethatitishometomanydifferentcountries,whosepeoplespeak

manydifferentlanguages.

Suchalargecontinenthasavastnumberoflandforms,fromthe

highestmountainstosomeofthelargestplainsintheworld.The

continentisinterspersedwithmanyriversandlakesandboundedby

severaloceans.Inadditiontoallthewater,therearealsohugeexpanses

ofdesert,someofwhicharehotanddry,whileothersarecoldanddry.

TheclimateofAsiaisasvariedasitslandandpeople.Inthefar

north,wintersarelongandcold,whilesummersareshortandcool.

Farthersouth,theclimatebecomesmilder,withlongersummersand

wetterwinters.Heavyrainscalledmonsoonsfrequentlyfloodpartsof

thecountriesinsouthernAsia,butotherareashavewonderful,sunny

summers.

Asyoumightimagine,withsuchdiverseclimatesandlands,the

animalsthatliveinAsiaarealsomanyandvaried.Reindeerlivein

thecoldnorth,andgiantpandasliveinthecentralregions.Tigersand

gorillasliveintherainforests,whilegazellesandwolvespopulate

thehillsandplains.Peoplehavedomesticatedmanyoftheanimals,

includingthewaterbuffalo.

ManypeopleinAsiamaketheirlivingbyfarming.Theyharness

waterbuffalotoplowtheirfieldsandpulltheircarts.Riceisabasicfood

inAsia,alongwithfishandmanydeliciousvegetables.Mostoftherice

thatpeopleeatthroughouttheworldisgrowninAsia.AlthoughAsiahas

manydifferencesfromothercontinentsandregions,itisanimportant

partoftheworldcommunity.


Benchmark 3


Ice Country

Theplane’sskislandedonthesnow-coveredrunway.Insidethe

plane,Alisonfeltreadyforherfirstdayathernewjobasabiologistin

Antarctica.Asshedisembarkedshetookadeepbreathandexhaled.She

laughedasshesawherbreathhangingasathinfogintheair.Insucha

coldenvironmentshewouldgetusedtoseeingherbreath.

AlisonglancedatVictor,theotherbiologistalongontheexpedition

toAntarctica.Hewastugginghisparkatighttokeepoutthefrigid

wind.Theytookinthescene,andtheybothgrinnedindelight.Beyond

theedgeofthebarerocklayendlesswhiteness,sparklinginthebright

sunlight.Alison’smainresponsibilitywastostudythesparsevegetation

inthedryvalleysnearthestation.Shewasalsodeterminedtospendas

muchtimeaspossiblefartheroutontheicesheet.

Asabiologist,AlisonwasattractedtoAntarcticaforthesimplicity

ofitslifeforms.Notmuchcanliveinthehostileenvironment,except

underthesea.Itisalmostimpossibleforplantsandanimalstoliveon

land.Alisonwouldstudythelichensthatgrewbetweenthegrainsof

sandinsidesandstonerock.Thesetinyplantsreceivejustenoughwater

andsunlighttoallowphotosynthesisduringashorttimeeachyear.Their

growthratesaresoslowthatscientistsestimatesomeofthemmaybe

thousandsofyearsold.

Alisonlookedaroundthestationsiteandwasgladthatshewouldbe

livingtherewithoverathousandotherpeople.Itwouldbenicetohave

companyandawarmplacetospendtimeinbetweenherexperiments

andexplorations.Shehopedsomeofthemoreseasonedscientistswould

showhertheropesandtakeheroutontheice,becauseshewasexcited

bytheideaofseeingawhiteout.Awhiteoutiswhenthicksnowand

overcastskiescombinetomakeeverythingappearwhite.Inawhiteout,

shewantedsomeonewithherwhoknewhowtosurvivetheadventure.


Benchmark 3


Diana Nyad

MostpeoplewouldbehappywithjustoneofDianaNyad’smany

achievements.Dianafirstbecamefamousasadistanceswimmer.

Next,shebecameatelevisionspeaker,andafterthatshehostedaradio

program.Thenshebeganapublicspeakingcareerand,atthesametime,

startedwritingforthenewspaper.Shehasalsowrittenseveralbooks.

Dianafirstlearnedtoswimbeforeshewasoneyearold.Attheage

ofeleven,shejoinedtheswimteamatherschool.Bythetimeshewasin

highschool,Dianawaswinningeventsatswimmeets.

Afterhighschool,Dianadiscovereddistanceswimming.Shetrained

foradistancerace,finishinginthetoptenoverallandsettinganew

women’srecord.Afterthat,Dianabeganswimmingaroundtheworldin

exoticanddangerousplacesliketheNileRiver.

Diana’soceanswimshavesetnewrecordsandexcitedmanypeople

allovertheworld.Shebecamethefirstpersontoswimtheonehundred

milesfromtheBahamastoFlorida.Thiswasthelongestswiminwhich

neitherasharkcagenorswimfinswereused.Shewasnotabletoswim

fromCubatoFlorida,buttryingmadeherspecial.Everyonewasthrilled

bythecourageoftheyoungwomanwhoswamfordaysinwavesfourto

sixfeethigh.

Diana’sintelligenceandwarm,outgoingpersonalityledtohercareer

intelevision.Inthecourseofherworkasajournalist,sheswamwith

whalesandbicycledinexoticlocations.ShewasaddedtotheNational

Women’sHallofFameasaresultofhermanyachievements.Withher

knowledgeandskillintellingstoriesandexcellentsenseofhumor,

Dianaisinhighdemandasaspeaker.

Inearliertimes,people’slastnamesdescribedtheircharacterortheir

job.Diana’slastnamesuitsherperfectly.ItcomesfromaGreekword,

whichreferstoafemalespiritwholivesinandpresidesoverbodiesof

water.


Benchmark 3


An Underground Journey

Aftervotingontheirnextfieldtrip,theclassdecidedtogo

underground.Mr.Lawrenceapprovedoftheirchoicebecausehehad

touredtheOregoncavesbeforeandfoundthemfascinating.Hewas

eagertosharehisexperiencewithhisstudents,andheknewtheirranger

guidewouldteachtheminterestingfactsaboutthecaves.

Thebuscarriedtheclasspastscenerythatvariedfromlargetowns

toold-growthforests.Thedaywassunnyandwarm,andmanystudents

doubtedwhetheritwouldbecoldenoughtoneedthewarmclothingthat

Mr.Lawrencehadrequiredthemtobring.Heassuredthemthatbeingin

thecaveswaslikebeinginsidearefrigerator.

Thestudentshadresearchedthecavesbeforetheyvisited,sothey

alreadyknewsomethingaboutwhattheywouldfind.Thecavescontain

fossilsofanimals,suchasjaguarsandgrizzlybears.Theyarehometo

manyvarietiesofinsects,andbatsroostinthecool,protecteddarkness.

Studentsweresurprisedtolearnthatthestreaminsidethecaveisalink

tothePacificOcean.

Underground,theyfoundnewmarvels.Beautifulmarblerocklined

thecaves,andmineraldepositsglowedinthelight.Therangershowed

themancientstalagmitesandstalactites,formedbywaterdripping

throughthecaveceilings.Shetoldthemaneasywaytorememberthe

namesoftheformations.Stalagmitehasa“G,”forground,sotheygrow

upoutofthebottomofthecave.Stalactitehasa“C,”forceiling,sothey

hangdownfromthetop.

Itwascoldundertheground,butclimbingthemorethanfive

hundredstepsinthecavehelpedthestudentsstaywarm.Still,they

weregladtheyhadjackets.Whenthetourwasover,thestudentsand

Mr.Lawrencethankedtheranger.Theytooktheranger’ssuggestion

andwenttoeattheirlunchatawonderfulspotunderthetrees.While

theyate,theytalkedaboutalltheincrediblethingstheyhadseeninthe

undergroundcaves.


Benchmark 3


The San Juan Islands

Therearehundredsofsmallislandsinthefarnorthwestcornerof

theUnitedStates.ThesearetheSanJuanIslands,andtheyareafavorite

vacationspotbecauseoftheirgoodclimateandmanynaturalattractions.

Onereasonvisitorsliketocometotheislandsisthatmanyorcawhales

liveinthewatersneartheirshoresforseveralmonthsduringtheyear.

Someevenstayyearround,makingtheareaaperfectplaceforwhale

watching.Infact,thelargestislandisnamedOrcasIsland.

ThesecondlargestislandisSanJuanIsland,hometoFridayHarbor,

theislands’maintown.SanJuanIslandisalsoknownasPigWarIsland,

anamethatreferstoaneventthathappenedwhenAmericanandBritish

settlerslivedontheislands.ABritishpigthatkepteatinganAmerican

settler’sgardennearlycausedabattlebetweenthetwocountries!

Fortunately,nothingserioushappened,andbothcountriesruledthe

islandstogetherformanyyears.Today,theislandsarepartofthestateof

Washington.

Glacierscarvedtheislandsmillionsofyearsago,leavinga

combinationofflatlandandmountains.Todaymuchofthelandis

coveredwithforeststhatprovidehabitatforavarietyofwildanimals.

Theislandsarehometohundredsofdifferentbirds,fromlargebald

eaglestotinyhummingbirds.Therearemanyshorebirdsaswell,

includinggeeseandswans.Manysealsandseaottersjoinwhalesin

thecold,clearwaterssurroundingtheislands.Muchoftheregionis

protectedasasanctuaryforwildlife.

Visitorscanflytotheislands,ortheycanrideferriesfromthe

mainlandtotheislandsandfromislandtoisland.Therearemany

wonderfulthingstoseeanddo.Touristscanhikeorgohorsebackriding,

ortheymaychoosetopaddlekayaksorgofishing.Whalewatchingand

wildlifeviewingareamongthemostpopulartouristattractions.Itisnot

surprisingthatpeopleliketovisittheSanJuanIslands!


Benchmark 3


The Importance of Exercise

Threetimesaweek,Kimstopsbyagymafterschooltoworkout

andontheweekends,shelikestogorunningwithherparents.She

knowsthatgettingplentyofexercisewillhelpherstayfit.“Myparents

liketostayfit,”sheexplains.“Theirinteresthasshownmethevalueof

exercise.Italsogivesussomethingenjoyabletodotogether.”Kimand

herparentsarelucky.Byexercisingoften,theywillpreventmanyhealth

problemsthroughouttheirlives.

Studieshaveshownthatregularexercisecanhelppreventproblems

suchasheartdiseaseandcancer.Yetexercisedoesmorethanjust

preventproblems,italsohelpspeoplerelax,givesthemmoreenergy,and

improvestheirqualityoflife.Somepeoplesaythatexerciseevenhelps

tolifttheirspiritsandimprovetheirattitude.

Whydoesexercisehavesomanyhealthbenefits?Onereasonis

becauseexercisehelpsthebloodcirculatethroughthebodybybuilding

muscles,burningfat,andmakingtheheartstronger.Havingstrong

muscles,inturn,helpstosupportthebody’sframework,theskeleton,so

youhavefewerbackproblems.Mostimportant,studieshaveshownthat

peoplewhoexerciseregularlytendtobehealthierandtolivelonger.

Itiseasytostartanexerciseprogramwithanactivitythatyouenjoy.

Keepinmindthateachformofexercisehassomethingdifferentto

offer.Forexample,dancersenjoymovingtomusic,andbicycleriders

enjoyspeed.Whenyouchooseanactivity,considerwhetheryouwantto

exercisealoneorwithothers.Ifyouenjoybeingwithfriends,youmight

considerateamsportorrunningwithagroup.

Afteryouhaveselectedanactivity,ithelpstosetanexercisegoal.

Mostexpertsagreethatpeopleneedtoexercisefortwentytothirty

minutesatleastthreetimesaweek.Duringthistime,besuretoworkup

asweatandgetyourheartpumping.


Benchmark 3


Drifting Downriver

Sometimeslifetakesyouinunexpecteddirections.IttookJeremy’s

familytoanewcontinentwhenhisfathergotagreatjobinCosta

Rica.Jeremylovedthecoastalbeachesoftheirnewcountry,butthe

mysteriousrainforestintheinterioriswhatreallyfascinatedhim.He

readeverythinghecouldabouttherainforestanddevelopedapassion

toexploreit.Hedidn’tfeelquitereadytohikeintosuchanunfamiliar

place,buthethoughtseeingitfromariverraftwouldbeanawesome

experience.

Jeremy’sparentsagreedhecouldgo,buthe’dhavetochooseatour

withanexperiencedguide.Hismotherfurtherspecifiedthathecould

onlytravelonacalmpartoftheriverforhisfirsttrip.Hewouldhave

towaituntilhewasoldertobravetherapidsonthemoreadventurous

rivers.

Jeremyjoinedtheguideandfourotherpeopleonalargerubber

raft.OneofthetravelerswasaboynamedCarlosaboutthesameageas

Jeremy.Therafterswereastoundedbythevarietyofsightsandsounds

ofthejungle.Screechesandbrightlycoloredbirdsstartledandamazed

them.Grinsneverlefttheirfaces,andtheirheadsturnedconstantlyas

theyexaminedeverythingaroundthem.

Theirguidetaughtthemagreatdealaboutrainforests.Theylearned

howimportantrainforestsaretotheecologyofthewholeworld.

Rainforestsproduceoxygenandabsorbgreatamountsofcarbondioxide.

Theylearnedthatinsectsoutnumberanyotheranimalinthejungles.

Rainforestsalsohelpcleanandrecyclewaterintheenvironmentand

producemanydifferentfoods.Experienceshowedthemthatitishotand

dampinarainforest,evenunderthethickcoveroftrees.

Therafttripwasbeyondhisexpectations.Jeremylearnedalot,

andhemadeanewfriend.Heknewhewasgoingtolikelivinginthis

wonderfulandexcitingplace.


Benchmark 3


Dubai: A City of Innovation

Oneofthemostexcitingcitiesintheworldishometomany

innovativesights.Dubai,acityonthePersianGulf,wasinitiallysettled

thousandsofyearsago.Thecityyoufindtodayhasgrownanddeveloped

rapidlytobecomeoneoftheworld’smostmoderncities.Touristsfrom

aroundtheworldvisitDubaitoadmiretheinnovativearchitecture.

OneofthemostfamousstructuresinDubaiisatallhotelthatlooks

likeasailblowinginthewind.Atthetimeofitsconstruction,this

uniquehotelwasthetallestintheworld.Atthetopofthehotel,visitors

canhaveafternoonteawithanimpressiveviewofthecity.Somesayitis

likesittinginthesky.

AnotherfamousstructureinthecityisaskiparkcalledSkiDubai,

whichisoneofthelargestindoorsnowparksintheworld.Year

round,thepark’sfiveskirunsarecoveredwithrealsnow.InDubai,

temperaturesinthesummeroftenreachoveronehundreddegrees,but

insidethisparkitremainsniceandcool.Visitorscanrentallofthe

winterclothingtheyneedtoplayandskiinthepark.

OffthecoastofDubaiareartificiallycreatedislands.Thefirstseries

ofislandswasconstructedtoresembleapalmtreewhenseenfrom

above.Thesecondserieswillincludeovertwohundredsmallerislands

thatformamapoftheworld.

Thebuildingprojectsstillbeingplannedmaybethemostexciting

ofall.Anarchitecturefirmrecentlyannounceditsplanstocreatethe

DynamicTower.Thetowerwillbethefirstevermovingskyscraper.

Theapartmentsinthetowerwillrotateafullthreehundredandsixty

degrees.Theapartmentownerswillbeabletoadjustthedirectionthey

facewhenevertheydesire.Whencomplete,theprojectwillbeonemore

astoundinginnovationfoundintheexcitingcityofDubai.


Benchmark 3


A Web Site for Volunteers

“HelpingwiththeLibraryTutoringProgramisreallyfun,”reports

Shanna,agetwelve.Shannahassignedonasavolunteerwiththe

programatthepubliclibraryinhertown.Intheprogram,students

inmiddleschoolarepairedwithstudentsinfirstandsecondgrade.

Theyreadstoriestotheyoungerchildrenandalsohelpthemwiththeir

homework.“ThebestpartofbeingatutoristhatIgettohelpsomeone

practicereading,andhavefuntoo!”Shannaexplains.

ShannafoundhervolunteerjobatawebsitecalledVolunteer

Match.Thepurposeofthewebsiteistohelppeoplefindgreatplacesto

volunteer.Asitsnamesuggests,theservicematchesvolunteers’skills

andinterestswithneededservices.

Here’showitworks.WhenShannavisitedthesite,shefirst

enteredherzipcodeandspecifiedthedistanceshewasabletotravel

towork.Withaclickofthemouse,alistofvolunteeropportunitiesin

herareaappeared.Shenoticedthepositionatthelibraryandclicked

again.Adescriptionoftheprogramappeared,andatthebottomofthe

page,Shannafoundanemailaddressandatelephonenumber.“Itwas

extremelysimple,”shesays.

SomepeoplewhovisitVolunteerMatchalreadyhaveanideaabout

whattheywanttodo.Forexample,apersonmaywanttohelpatanart

museum.Tospeeduptheirsearch,thesepeoplecanindicatespecific

activitiesthatmatchtheirinterestsandskills.Withoverthirtythousand

listings,anyonewhowantstohelpotherscanfindaninterestingjob.

VolunteerMatchisnotonlygreatforpeoplewhowanttovolunteer.

Italsohelpsorganizationsthatusevolunteersbysavingthemthetime

andeffortittakestofindhelpers.Sinceitwasstarted,morethana

millionpeoplehavefoundvolunteerpositionsonthewebsite.Ifyouor

yourfriendswanttomakeadifference,checkoutVolunteerMatch.


Benchmark 3


Horseback Trekking

GregorylivedonNewZealand’sSouthIslandwithhisparentsand

hisbrotherMurray.Gregoryandhisfamilywerelookingforwardtotheir

vacationtothecountry’sNorthIsland.TheNorthIslandofferedseveral

differentvacationopportunities,andthisyear,thefamilydecidedtotake

ahorsebackridingtrip.GregoryandMurrayreadaboutdifferenttrips

andfoundonethatsoundedlikefun.Itwasatrekfromcoasttocoast,

whichlastedafullweekandwouldtakethemthroughnearlyeverykind

ofgeographyontheisland.Thewholefamilywasexcitedaboutit.They

hadallriddenhorsesbefore,butnoneofthemhadtakensuchalongtrip

onhorseback.

Thetrekbeganontheeastsideoftheisland,wherethebeacheshad

exquisitewhitesand.Eachpersonchoseahorseandrodeforawhileto

getcomfortablewiththeirsteeds.Theirhostwasafriendly,outgoing

tourguidenamedKirina.

Theentirefamilywasastonishedbyhowmuchofthebeautyand

diversityoftheNorthIslandtheycouldseeonhorseback.Theyrodeon

duneshighabovetheseaandthroughancientpineforests.Theycrossed

rollinggreenhillsdottedwithsheepandcattle.Theyfollowednarrow

trailsintonativerainforest,andtheycrossedshallowstreams.They

swaminclearpoolsunderbeautifulwaterfalls.

Onseveraldaysthefamilywentintosmalltownstosampleproduce

fromthefarmers’market.Theystayedatvillageinnsandspenttwo

nightswithfamilies,alwaysgratefulforthefriendlinessofthepeople.

Whentheyfinallygottothewesternshore,theyweredelightedtofind

wildseasandspectacularbeacheswithblacksand.

Attheendofthetrek,thefamilysaidgoodbyetoKirinaandtheir

horsesandtookashuttlebacktoAuckland,wheretheycaughtaplane

fortheshortridebackhometotheSouthIsland.Theywereallhappily

exhausted,andagreeditwasoneoftheirbesttripsever.


Benchmark 3


The Kon-Tiki Expedition

Inoneofthegreatadventuresofourtime,acrewsailedacross

theoceanonaprimitiveraft.TheybeganinPeruandsailedmorethan

fourthousandmilestothePolynesianIslands.Thevoyagewascalled

theKon-TikiExpedition.Manypeoplewonderedhowtheoriginal

Polynesiansettlershadfirsttraveledtotheislands.ThecrewoftheKon-

Tikiexpeditionbelievedthattheearlysettlershadsailedtotheislands

onrafts,andbymakingasimilarvoyage,theexpeditionsuccessfully

showedthatthistheorywaspossible.Theymadearaftofwoodand

naturalmaterials,withafloortiedtogetherwithropes.Itmovedbya

simplesailcatchingthewind,andtherewasnowaytosteerit.

Nearlysixtyyearslater,thegrandsonoftheleaderoftheKon-Tiki

Expeditionwaspartofanewteamthatfollowedthesamepath.This

tripwascalledtheTangaroaExpedition.Modernscienceandagreater

understandingofhistoryhadtaughtpeoplemoreabouthowancientrafts

werebuilt.Thenewraftwasdesignedtobeevenmoreliketheraftsof

theoldworld.

Thepurposeofthefirstexpeditionwastoprovethattheearly

PolynesianscouldhavetraveledtherebyraftfromSouthAmerica.The

purposeofthesecondwastocheckthehealthofthePacificOcean.It

wasalsoacelebrationoftheearliertrip.Althoughitwouldhavebeen

easiertouseamodernboat,thecrewwantedtoattractattentiontoits

studyoftheocean.Thecrewtraveledslowlyontheraftandtheywere

closetothewater.Thismadeiteasytotakesamplesfromthesurface.

TheTangaroaExpeditionwasagreatsuccess,justliketheKon-Tiki

beforeit.Bothweretripsbackintimeaswellasexperimentsthatwould

teachpeopleofthefuturemoreaboutpeopleinthepast.


Benchmark 3


The Great Bird Count

Agroupofkidswaschattinginexcitement.Theywerelookingat

somethingonthecrafttable.Albertowalkedtothestudentsandpeered

overHayley’sshoulder.Hesawseveralgraphsandcharts.“What’sgoing

on?”heasked.

HayleytoldhimtheywerelookingattheresultsoftheGreat

BackyardBirdCountfromtheyearbefore.Sheexplainedthatittakes

placeeveryFebruaryintheUnitedStatesandCanada.Peopleincities

andinthecountrysidegotodifferentoutdoorspotswithabirdchecklist.

Theycountorestimatethekindsandnumbersofbirdstheysee.Then

theyfilloutthechecklistandsenditinonline.Scientistsusethe

informationinavarietyofimportantways.

Albertothoughthe’dliketoparticipatethisyear,sohejoinedthe

group.Helearnedthatbirdpopulationschangeconstantlyandthat

scientistscannotpossiblykeeptrackofhowbirdsmovethroughoutthe

continent.Theyrelyonthehelpofindividualswhoarewillingtocount

birdsforfourdaysinFebruary.Fromthemassiveamountofinformation

theyreceive,theyareabletotellwhichbirdspeciesareincreasingor

decreasing.Trackingbirdpopulationscanindicatehowchangesinthe

environmentaffectbirds.Inaddition,thedatatellscientistswhatkinds

ofbirdsliveinurbanandruralareas.

Carefullyfollowingtherulesforthecount,Albertodecidedtospend

atleastfifteenminutesadayinadifferentlocation.Hewentonlineand

registeredtoreceivearegionalchecklistofbirdsinhisarea.Hewould

completeachecklistforeachlocationwherehecountedbirds,andhe

wouldsubmititonlineeveryday.Herealizedthatfirstheneededtolearn

whichbirdsweremostlikelytobefoundinhisareaandhowtoidentify

them.

Albertohadalotofpreparationtodo,buthewasluckythatHayley

agreedtobehispartner.TheywouldbebusyallofJanuarygettingready

forthebirdcount,buttheywerebothexcitedabouttheprospectof

learningaboutbirdsandhelpingthescientists.


Benchmark 3


An Unusual Island

Hundredsofhugecarvedstatuesstandononeofthemostisolated

placesintheworld.ThisfascinatingplaceiscalledEasterIsland.

Thesculptureswerecarvedoutofvolcanicrockcalledtuff,using

stonechisels,manyofwhicharestilllyingintheoldquarries.The

statueshavehugeheads.Someareoverthirtyfeettallandweighmore

thaneightytons.Mostaremuchsmaller,buteventhesmallonesarestill

overfourteenfeettall.

Overtheyearssincetheconstructionofthestatues,muchofthe

informationonhowtheywerebuiltandwhattheymeanttothepeopleon

theislandhasbeenlost.Peopletodaythinkthateachstatuetookfiveor

sixmenaslongasayeartocomplete.Movingthegiantstructureswould

havebeenverydifficult,requiringuptotwohundredmentopullone

intoplace.Nearlyonethousandstatuesareknowntoexistontheisland

andinmuseumsaroundtheworld.

ThenativepeopleofEasterIslandhavehadtostruggletomakeit

throughmanyhardships.Atsomepointinthepasttheforeststhatonce

coveredtheislandweredestroyed.Birdsandwildlifedisappearedonce

theirforesthabitatsweregone.Europeanseventuallyarrivedandcreated

furtherproblemsfortheislandanditspeople.Itisextraordinarythatthe

statueshavesurvivedandbeenpreservedthroughalloftheturmoil.

EasterIslandisnowpartofChile,anditdrawsmanyvisitorsevery

year.Peopleexplorethelandbyhikingandhorsebackriding,andthey

taketotheseaforscubadivingandsurfing.Butmostofall,theystill

askthesamequestions.Whywouldagroupofancientpeopleworkso

hardtocarvehundredsofstatues?Whyweremanyofthestatuesfound

toppledoverwhenexplorersarrived?Theseandmanyotherquestions

remainunansweredandarepartofthemysteryofEasterIsland.


Benchmark 3


How We See

Takealookaroundyou.Youreyestellyoumanythingsaboutthe

worldaroundyou.Youreyesarethecomplexsensoryorgansthatuse

lighttoidentifyshape,size,texture,andcolor.Theytellyouabout

distance,thespeed,andthedirectionofmovingobjects.Theyare

importanttolearningabouttheworldinwhichwelive.

Theeyehasmultipleparts,allcontainedwithinasphereaboutone

inchacross.Thesclera,orhardoutercovering,maintainstheeye’sshape.

Theclearfrontpartiscalledthecornea,andlightenterstheeyethrough

thisthinlayer.Behindthecorneaistheiris,thecoloredpartoftheeye

thatsurroundsthepupil,ortheblackopeninginthecenteroftheiris.

Theirisexpandsandcontractsaroundthepupiltoletdifferent

amountsoflightintotheeye.Aclearlensfocuseslightthroughthe

liquidcenterandontothebackoftheeye.Musclesmovethelensand

thewholeeye,sotheeyecanseethingsfrommanyangles.Theback

partoftheeyeislinedwithamembranecalledtheretina,withconeand

rodcellsthataresensitivetolight.Rodsallowustoseeinlowlight,and

coneshelpdistinguishcolorsanddetails.

Whenlightstrikestheconesandrodsoftheretina,achemical

reactionstarts.Anelectricchargeiscreatedthatmovesalongtheoptic

nerve.Thisnerveisconnectedtothebrainwherelightisinterpretedas

colorsandobjects.Whatweperceiveareactuallysurfacesofvarious

shapesandsizesthatreflectdifferentwavelengthsoflight.Thebrain

interpretswhatweareseeing.

Visionisacomplicatedprocessinwhichlightenergyischangedinto

electricalenergyforourbrain,allowingoureyestoinformusaboutour

world.

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