- 1. Issue 9 / SEPTEMBER 2012In this months Digital NationThe
Cloud, Condensed Best of 2011 ProfessionalFeatured in this
issueResources Resource LinksFiction All Good Children, by
Catherine Austen MagazineNonfiction Oil, by James Laxer Nowhere
Else on Earth, by Caitlyn VernonGraphic Novel On the Turn, by Jay
Odjick
2. TEXT2READERA monthly Language Arts program for middleschools,
presented by Orca Book PublishersCONTENTSWelcome to Text2Reader41.
FictionExcerpt: All Good Children 6 (Focus: reading literary texts
for meaning)Exercise 1A: As You See ItReflecting on the Text9
(Focus: responding to literature; making inferences; analyzing;
evaluating)Exercise 1B: Write It DownComparing and Sharing 10
(Focus: text-to-text connections; summarizing;
evaluating;explaining to a partner)Exercise 1C: Making
MeaningExamining Tension in Writing 11(Focus: analysis; making
connections; evaluation; reading witha purpose)Exercise 1D: Write
It DownTense Up! Creating Tension in Your 12 Writing(Focus:
experimenting with elements of style; makingconnections)Assessment
Rubric: Writing Personal Views or Responses 132. NonfictionExercise
2A: Before You ReadHarnessing Your Brainpower14 (Focus: prereading
comprehension strategies; metacognition)Excerpts: Oil and Nowhere
Else on Earth: Standing Tall for the 15Great Bear Rainforest
(Focus: reading nonfiction texts for meaning)Exercise 2B: Looking
for Answers 17 (Focus: comprehension; synthesis)Exercise 2C: Asking
QuestionsIndustrial Environmental Disasters 18 (Focus: developing
powerful questions; analyzing; synthesizing;prioritizing;
metacognition) 3. 3. Graphic NovelExercise 3A: Making
MeaningReading the Graphic Novel 20 prereading skills; text
features; analyzing; (Focus:metacognition)Excerpt: On the Turn21
(Focus: reading graphic novels/visual texts for meaning)4. Digital
Nation: People, Tech, News Article: The Cloud, Condensed25 Exercise
4A: Looking for Answers 27(Focus: comprehension; synthesizing;
making connections) Exercise 4B: Words in Text 29 Frayer model;
dictionary skills; defining words in(Focus: context)5. Readers
TheaterAssessment Rubric: Readers Theater31Exercise 5A: Readers
Theater32Script: On the Turn (Focus: reading with expression;
developing fluency)Exercise 5B: Write It DownGetting into Character
37 (Focus: writing to inform and entertain; working with a
group)Assessment Rubric: Scriptwriting38Suggested Resources39Answer
Keys40Prescribed Learning OutcomesLearning outcomes for the
September 2012 issue can be found on theText2Reader website under
the Resources tab. 4. WELCOME TOTEXT2READER Youre a busy
professional, and your prep time is a precious commodity. Thats why
Orca Book Publishers brings you Text2Reader, a monthly resource for
grades 6 to 8 English Language Arts (ELA) teachers. Text2Reader
offers high-quality reading selections from award-winning books and
engaging activities to help your students make meaning from what
they read. Text2Reader speaks to the real-life issues that concern
teens today, and reaches students with passages that connect to
their own livesincluding Digital Nation, a feature article with
accompanying activities based on current issues in the online
world. And for you? Weve packaged a bundle of easy-to-use,
teacher-created comprehension exercises, reading and writing
activities, asessments and opportunities for enrichmentall directly
tied to ELA learning outcomes. Its affordableway more affordable
than (yet another) set of textbooks. And every class in your middle
school can use Text2Reader, for one low price. TEXT2READER at a
glanceIn each issue of Text2Reader youll find:award-winning
fiction, nonfiction and graphic novel selections;teacher-created
reading comprehension exercises that support English Language Arts
learning outcomes across North America;a feature article profiling
current issues and significant people in the digital
world;literacy-based projects, both independent and guided, that
focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening, and that support
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down which outcomes are covered in that months issue of
Text2Reader. Who knew it could be so easy?4www.text2reader.com 5.
How to use this resourceText2Reader arrives as a ready-to-use
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resourceone that supports you in your goals of teaching students to
lovereading, to understand a variety of texts, to think critically
and personally about the texts they encounter,and to make meaning
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Publishers.Text2Reader September 2012 5 6. 1. FICTION The fiction
passage in this issue is taken from All Good Children, by Catherine
Austen (Orca Book Publishers, 2011). Heres a summary: Its the
middle of the twenty-first century and the elite children of New
Middletown are lined up to receive a treatment that turns them into
obedient, well-mannered citizens. Maxwell Connors, a
fifteen-year-old prankster, misfit and graffiti artist, observes
the changes with growing concern, especially when his younger
sister, Ally, is targeted. Max and his best friend, Dallas, escape
the treatment, but must pretend to be zombies while they watch
their free-doms and hopes decay. When Maxs family decides to take
Dallas with them into the unknown world beyondNew Middletowns
borders, Maxs creativity becomes an unexpected bonus rather than a
liability.Now that you know what All Good Children is all about,
read the following section from Chapter 1. In thispassage, Max, his
mom and his little sister are returning home after attending an
aunts funeral in a nearbycity. Max is waiting to be given his
Realtime Integrated Gateway (RIG) back after his mom confiscated it
fora stupid prank earlier in the week.A RIG is a Web-enabled
communicationsdevice similar to todays Smartphones, butwith greater
functionality.Its a half-hour shuttle from the Bradford Airport
across the National Forest toNew Middletown, but Mom still wont
give me back my RIG. Im stuck staring atthe beauty of the
Pennsylvania Wilds. I kick Allys foot just for something to do. You
will never get that RIG back if you dont stop right now, Mom says
so 5loudly that other passengers look our way. I stare out the
window like Im notinvolved. There are no cars for rent at the New
Middletown station, so we take a taxihome. The drivers id reads
Abdal-Salam Al-Fulin. Ive barely buckled up beforehe asks, Did you
hear about the speed-rail bombings in the southwest? Over 10 three
hundred dead. Theres nowhere safe anymore. We show a guard our ids
and drive through the gates of my glorious town.I feel pretty safe
right here, I say, but I know Ill feel a lot safer once I get out
ofthis taxi. Ally watches a wildlife show in the backseat beside
Mom, who stares out the 15 window. Mom was RIG-addicted before Dad
died. She uploaded our lives as theyhappened. Now she lets the
world blur by.6www.text2reader.com 7. I love driving in this city,
the driver tells me. Every road is a straight line. Its energy
efficient, I tell him. New Middletown is the most environmentally
smart city in the northeast. But they chopped down ten square miles
of forest to20 build it. Were big on irony here. I dont like the
forest, the driver says. I shrug. Its beautiful. Ive never actually
stepped foot in the forest, but I like driving by and seeing all
the different shades of green. New Middletown is monotonous.
Everything in town is the same age, same style, same color. What
we25 lack in personality we compensate for with security. Half the
city is bordered by forest and the other half is walled. There are
only six roads into town and all of them are guarded. We dont
sprawl. We stand tall and tight. There are no beggars or thieves in
New Middletown. If you dont have a place to live and work here, you
dont get in. This driver probably hates the forest because he has
to live there in a tent.30 Over the past twenty years, Chemrose
International has built six cities just like this to house the six
largest geriatric centers in the world. Everyone who lives or works
in New Middletown pays rent to Chemrose. The whole town revolves
around New Middletown Manor Heights Geriatric Rest Home and its
32,000 beds. I never get lost here, the driver says as he joins a
line of cars traveling north35 along the city spine, past
hospitals, labs and office towers. Im surprised you get much
business, I say. The city spines are entirely pedestrian, and each
quadrant is like a self- contained village, with its own schools,
clinics, gardens, rec centers, even our own hydroponics and water
treatment facilities. We dont have much call for taxicabs.40 I dont
get much business, the driver admits. Mostly I take people away. To
where? He shrugs. You go to school here? Sure. Academic school.
Lucky boy. What you going to be when youre grown?45 An architect. I
dont hesitate. We pick our career paths early in academic school.
You going to build things like that? the driver asks me. He points
to the New Middletown City Hall and Security Center, which glimmers
in the distance on our left. It stands at the intersection of the
city spines, in the exact center of town, rising to a point in
twenty-eight staggered stories of colored glass.50 I hope so, I
say. He snorts. I dont like it. It looks like its made of ice. He
turns onto the underpass and City Hall disappears from view. Thats
the artistic heart of town, I say. He snorts again. I dont see any
art in this city. Never. I dont hear any music. I55 dont hear any
stories. I dont see any theater. You can see all that from any room
in any building, I tell him. We have our own communications
network.Fiction Text2Reader September 2012 7 8. He sighs. You like
living here? Of course. Who wouldnt? People line up to get in here.
60 Like me, he says. I line up and wait, I come inside, I drop you
off, I leave. Times are tough, I say. Not for everyone, he mutters.
He drives up to ground level and heads away from the core. Chemrose
spent eight years and billions of dollars building this city just
before 65I was born. They laid down the spines and connecting roads
like a giant spider building a web. People swarmed here. But they
didnt all get in. Shanties and car- parks spread outside the
western wall, full of hopefuls who come inside for a few hours to
clean our houses or drive us home. They were hit hard by the
Venezuelan flu, which wiped out half the elderly and 10 percent of
everyone else in the city, 70including my father. The epidemic cost
Chemrose a fortune in private funding and public spirit. Mom kept
her nursing job, so were fit. We moved from a four- bedroom house
to a two-bedroom apartment that sits on the fringe of our old
neighborhood. Ally and I are still in academic schools, so we have
hope, which is a rare commodity these dangerous days. Most people
are a lot more damaged. 75 Maybe I will find a bed here when I am
old, the driver says with another snort. Turn left here, I say. We
cruise through the northeast residential district, past the white
estate homes where I used to live, through a maze of tan-on-beige
triplexes and brown- 80on-tan row houses, and into our
black-on-brown apartment complex. Unit six, I say. The driver
circles the complex like a cop, slow and suspicious, passing five
identical buildings before he gets to ours, the Spartanas in the
apple, not the Greeks. The apartments are memorials to fallen
fruit: Liberty, Gala, Crispin, Fuji, 85McIntosh. This is where you
live? the driver asks. He looks up, unimpressed. The apartments
reek of economy. No balconies, no roof gardens, no benches. Just
right angles and solar panels and recycling bins. I used to mock
the people who lived here. Now I withstand the mockery of others. I
hold out my hand to Mom. She stares at me curiously. RIG, I say.
She rolls 90her eyes but gives me what I want. I power up, empty
the trunk, drag two suit- cases to the door. Thanks for the ride, I
tell Abdal. Good luck. Good luck to you too, he
shouts.8www.text2reader.com 9. Exercise 1A: As You See ItReflecting
on the TextPut your head together with a partner. Talk about these
questions. Thenanswer them in complete sentences.1. When Max says
theyre big on irony in New Middletown, what does he mean?2. From
what you know about the story so far, what do you predict is the
significance of the citys name,New Middletown?3. Whats better:
individual freedom and personality, or security in an uncertain
world?4. Max observes that if you dont have a place to live and
work, you cant be in New Middletown. Look at thisrule from both
sides. What are the advantages of organizing a society in this way?
What are the drawbacks?5. What might be the reason(s) that art,
music and theater arent allowed in New Middletown?6. How does Maxs
education differ from yours?Fiction Text2Reader September 2012 9
10. Exercise 1B: Write It DownSharing and Comparing Chances are
youve read a book, watched a movie or played a game that introduces
a different world than the one we live in. Maybe its a dystopian
world (a society in a repressive or controlled state), like The
Giver or The Hunger Games. Maybe its futuristic, like The City of
Ember. Or maybe its purely science fiction, like Gool or Animorphs.
Your job? To explain this world to usand to tell a friend. In the
box below, write about a fictional world that you have read about
(or watched). What elements does it share in common with New
Middletown? What does it share in common with our world as it is
today? How is it different? Use complete sentences, point form,
sketcheshowever you want to convey the information! In your
summary, be sure to include details about: the worlds physical
appearance the way it differs from our own world the
people/organisms/droids/little green guys who populate it its
reason for existing what you find most interesting, terrifying or
disturbing about itOne fictional world Ive encountered is... Take
ten minutes with a partner to share your
worlds.10www.text2reader.com 11. Exercise 1C: Making
MeaningExamining Tension in WritingImagine finding a slingshot. If
you hold it in one hand, its not much fun,right? But pull back the
elastic and suddenly that slingshot becomes a lotmore interesting.
Its the tension that gets yourattention.In writing, as in life,
tension occurs when a character wants something different than what
he or she is get-ting. It occurs when theres impending danger, when
a character is running out of time, or when s/he
facesembarrassment. Pretty much any situation that isnt comfortable
or where the outcome is unknown will causetension for a
character.Weve bolded a few points of tension from All Good
Childrenand all this is just in the first four paragraphs!Do you
think we missed any?Its a half-hour shuttle from the Bradford
Airport across the National Forest to NewMiddletown, but Mom still
wont give me back my RIG. Im stuck staring at thebeauty of the
Pennsylvania Wilds. I kick Allys foot just for something to do. You
will never get that RIG back if you dont stop right now, Mom says
so loudlythat other passengers look our way. I stare out the window
like Im not involved.There are no cars for rent at the New
Middletown station, so we take a taxihome. The drivers id reads
Abdal-Salam Al-Fulin. Ive barely buckled up before heasks, Did you
hear about the speed-rail bombings in the southwest? Over
threehundred dead. Theres nowhere safe anymore.We show a guard our
ids and drive through the gates of my glorious town. I feelpretty
safe right here, I say, but I know Ill feel a lot safer once I get
out of this taxi.Now go back to the excerpt on pages 68. Look for
other instances of tension. Underline or highlight them.Circle
words that are particularly powerful for creating tension.Choose
one instance in the passage where you think the tension is
significant. What makes this part sointeresting? Text Tip: Think
about some of your favorite storiesfrom Hansel and Gretel to The
Hobbit. How do the authors create tension? (Throwing obstacles in
the way of their characters.) How do the characters handle that
tension? (Freaking out, making mistakes, doubting themselves and
eventually overcoming those obstacles.) Fiction Text2Reader
September 2012 11 12. Exercise 1D: Write It DownTense Up! Creating
Tension in Your Writing pull that elastic back. Waaaaay back. In
this exercise, you get to writeTime toa personal recollection about
a tense experience. Write a personal narrative using one of the
following prompts. Your recollection will read much like a short
story, with a beginning, middle and end. Youll develop your problem
as the narrative unfolds, and show how you solved the problem in
the end. Your most important task is to amp up your writing by
adding tension. This makes it interesting! 1. In the passage, we
see that Max is nervous and feels unsafe when hes traveling with a
stranger in a taxi outside his familiar neighborhood. Write about a
time when you found yourself in a situation where you felt unsafe.
Include details about where you were and what you perceived to be
the risks of being there at that time. How did you overcome that
situation and get to a place where you felt safe again? 2. In All
Good Children, Max begs his mother to smuggle their family into
Canada, where the government isnt bent on controlling peoples
minds. But doing so means he has to break rules along the way.
Write about a time when you intentionally broke the rules for a
higher purpose. Explain the situation or problem you were facing
and why it presented an ethical dilemma. How and why did you make
your decision? What was the outcome? Text Tip: Check the list below
for a few ways to strengthen your writing with tension. Write short
sentences with active verbs. Put obstacles in the way of your
characters. Make them struggle to reach their goals! Have your
characters tease each other, play head games or create problems for
each other. Create the feeling that something bad or dangerous is
about to happen. Show your characters fear or other negative
emotions when they face a problem or situation. Check the links on
the T2R website for more ideas on how to spring-load your writing
with tension.Remember to look onlinewhen you see this icon. Before
you begin, read through the rubric on the following page to make
sure your recollection meets the criteria of a powerful, meaningful
personal text.12www.text2reader.com 13. Assessment Rubric: Writing
Personal Views or ResponsesASPECT NOT YET WITHIN MEETS FULLY MEETS
EXCEEDSEXPECTATIONSEXPECTATIONS EXPECTATIONS EXPECTATIONS (MINIMAL
LEVEL)SNAPSHOT The writing addressesThe writing presents The
writing is clear, The writing is clear, the topic but is seriously
revelant ideas about logical, with someanalytic and shows flawed by
problems inthe topic but does not analysis andsome insight. It
features logic, style and develop the topic to any development of
asome engaging ideas or mechanics. May be very extent. Often vague;
central idea. Provideslanguage. short. parts may be flawed by
sufficient material toerrors.meet requirements.MEANING presents
some ideas; presents a series of sense of purpose; purposeful, with
ideas and may be illogical orrelated ideastries to deal withsome
individuality,informationinappropriate generally accurate
complexitiesinsight; deals with use of detail inaccurate,
illogicaldetails, examples and relevant and accurate complexities
general- or insufficient detailsexplanations; may notdetails,
examples some engaging izations orconclusions connections may be
link to central idea and explanations; details, examples omitted or
confusing some difficultyincludes some and explanations;making
connections analysisincludes analysis,beyond the makes connections
reflection, speculationimmediate andor generalizations puts topic
in a broaderconcrete beyond thecontext; logical immediate topic
generalizations, connectionsSTYLE no sense of fluency or some
sentence variety; uses a variety of flows smoothly; uses a
clarity,flow; sentences areuses complex sentence types andvariety
of sentencevariety andoften short andsentenceslengths types and
lengthsimpact ofchoppy or long and conversational language is
clear,effectivelylanguage awkwardlanguage; generallyappropriate and
varied and effective limited, simpleappropriatevariedlanguage
languageFORM often begins with beginning introduces introduces
topics and establishes purpose beginning,introduction,the
topicpurpose and context in clear middle, end assuming that the
ending is often weak, explicit conclusion and often interesting
organizationreader knows the formulaic(often formulaic)
introductionand sequence topic and context related ideas are
logical sequence; logical conclusion transitions ending is
ineffectivetogether; may be related ideas are smooth and logical
lapses in sequence listed rather than togethersequence; explicit
may shift abruptly developed transitions connect paragraphing from
one idea to simple transitions;ideas clearly variety of natural and
anothersometimes ineffectivesmooth transitionsCONVENTIONS frequent
errors in errors in basic words errors in more may include complete
simple words andand structures arecomplex languageoccasional
errorssentences structures oftennoticeable but do notare
sometimeswhere the writer is spelling interfere with meaningobscure
meaningnoticeable, buttaking risks with punctuation meaning is
clear complex language; grammarthese do notinterfere
withmeaningSource: BC Performance Standards Quick-ScaleFiction
Text2Reader September 2012 13 14. 2. NONFICTIONExercise 2A: Before
You ReadHarnessing Your BrainpowerTheres more to being a good
reader than just being able to decode the wordson the page. Reading
nonfiction is a bit different than reading fiction. Andbecause of
that, the reading strategies you use will differ slightly too. A.
Read the following list of strategies for understanding what you
read. Most of them will probably be familiarto you. Which do you
use most often? (Wait a second. You say you dont use them? Well,
nows the timeto start! The more strategies you have at your
fingertips for understanding nonfiction, the easier itll be
tofigure out the tough stuff as you advance in school.) 1. Make a
list of key words you think are important. Add to the list as you
read the passage. 2. In each paragraph, underline the phrase or
words that you think capture the main idea. 3. Circle ideas and
facts that are new to you. 4. At the end of every section, stop and
ask yourself: Can I put what I just read into my ownwords? Could I
explain it to someone else? 5. Ask yourself whether you can detect
any author bias in the passage. How would you saythis author feels
about the subject matter? How does the authors perspective compare
toyour own? 6. Pay attention to text features like bolded terms and
section headings. (Often headings willgive you a hint to the main
idea.)B. Choose two of these strategies. Use them as you read
through this months nonfiction passage.C. What surprises you in
this passage? Why?14www.text2reader.com 15. This months nonfiction
passage is adapted from two books. The main article about the rise
of the petroleum industry is from Oil by James Laxer (Groundwood
Books, 2008); the sidebar comes from Nowhere Else on Earth:
Standing Tall for the Great Bear Rainforest by Caitlyn Vernon (Orca
Book Publishers, 2011). Oil explores humans dependence on fossil
fuels and looks at how we might success- fully navigate the decline
in petroleum stocks worldwide. In Nowhere Else on Earth,
environmental activist Caitlyn Vernon assesses some of the threats
to the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the most ecologically diverse
areas on the planet.The Rise of OilConsidering how dependent the
world now is on petroleum consumption, it may come as a surprise
tolearn that in historical terms the large-scale use of oil is a
recent phenomenon. The modern oil industry hadits origins in Canada
and the United States on the eve of the American Civil War. In
1858, the first oil wellin North America was drilled in Petrolia,
Ontario, and the following year, an oil well drilled in
Titusville,Pennsylvania, ushered in the petroleum age in the US. A
decade prior to the drilling of these pioneer wells, 5Canadian
geologist Dr. Abraham Gesner discovered the technique for refining
kerosene from coal. A fewyears later a Pole, Ignacy Lukasiewicz,
figured out how to distill kerosene from oil. That discovery
quicklycreated a huge international market for kerosene.Up until
that time, the illuminant of choice had been whale oil. Before
kerosene became readily available,a gigantic whaling industry
operated in various parts of the world, including New England. The
whaling 10industrys principal goal was to hunt the huge seagoing
mammals who served as a source of oil to light lampsand to provide
lighting on the streets of American towns and cities. By the 1850s,
the price of whale oil hadreached an all-time high, selling in 1856
for $1.77 a gallon, a price which if translated into todays
dollarswould be twenty or thirty times the contemporary price of
gasoline. Within a few years, as kerosene replacedit, the price of
whale oil plunged (to forty cents a gallon by 1895), and the
whaling industry fell on hard times. 15Most whaling operations on
the east coast of the US went out of business. The relentless law
of supply anddemand was at work. When a cheaper, superior product
came on the marketthe price of refined oil wasunder seven cents a
gallon in 1895the older, more expensive product was driven out of
the marketplace.(One effect of the rise of the petroleum industry
is that it almost certainly saved many species of whales
fromextinction.) 20Oil did not have a smooth start as an industry.
In 1878, Henry Woodward, a Canadian, invented the electriclightbulb
and sold the patent to Thomas Edison. As this new invention spread,
the demand for kerosene driedup and the oil industry fell into a
recession. In the mid-1880s, the industry was rescued, and this
time theNonfiction Text2Reader September 2012 15 16. An Oil Spill
to Rememberrescue was permanent. The internal combustionengine,
which employed gasoline to power auto-25People are concerned that
oil tankers might mobiles, was pioneered in Europe by Karl Benz
andone day travel the narrow channels off BCs Wilhelm Daimler. In
the first years of the twentiethcoast. Whats the big deal? Well,
lets look back century, the mass age of the automobile was ush-to a
particularly devastating tanker crash for aered in, with the
incorporation by Henry Ford ofreminder of why oil and water really
dont mix. the Ford Motor Company in 1903. In 1908, Ford 30 One
night in March 1989, the Exxon Valdezlaunched the Model T Ford,
which sold initially foroil tanker ran aground on a rocky reef in
Alaska. $980. Automobiles revolutionized American citiesIt was
carrying oil from Alaska to feed the carsand the American way of
life, ensuring an ever-and industries of the United States. Sharp
rocksrising demand for oil, the black gold that becameripped the
side of the tanker open; the oil thatthe indispensable fuel on
which the modern world35spilled out would have filled 125
Olympic-sizeran.swimming pools!It was an environmental disaster.
Birds coated inoil were no longer able to keep themselves warm, and
they couldnt fly. Sea otters depend on their furto stay warm, so
when they were covered in oil, they literally froze to death. The
otters and birds alsoswallowed the oil when trying to clean
themselves, and they died when the oil poisoned them. The
oilaffected the plankton, which are food for the salmon and the
herring. The whales and animals andbirds that eat herring and
salmon also became contaminated with oil, and many died. The oil
spill was also a disaster for the people who made their living from
the sea. Therewere fewer fish to catch, and no one wanted to buy or
eat seafood contaminated with oil. Theprocessing plants and
canneries closed, and many people lost their jobs. The First
Nations were nolonger able to eat the fish, shellfish, waterfowl
and wild animals they depended on for food.Even after a massive
clean-up effort, oil from the spill that happened over twenty years
ago stillwashes up on shores 700 kilometers (435 miles) away and
could take centuries to disappear. Thecommunities and coastal
ecosystems have not recovered. The Exxon Valdez disaster taught us
that an oil spill can cause severe and lasting damage to
therainforest and coastal ecosystems. In 2010, the blowout of the
BP Deepwater Horizon oil well inthe Gulf of Mexico was a reminder
that accidents are bound to happen (even with the best
moderntechnology), that cleanup is next to impossible, and that
coastal communities suffer as jobs in fishingand tourism are
lost.Words in Text: Glossaryilluminant: a substance used to
generate visible lightinternal combustion engine: an engine where a
fossil fuelis burned inside the engine in a combustion
chamberpatent: a grant made by a government that gives thecreator
of an invention the right to make, use or sell that contaminated:
made impure by the addition of a pollutinginvention for a certain
period of timesubstancerecession: a period of temporary economic
decline processing: the act of taking a raw material
andtransforming it into a packaged, consumable
product16www.text2reader.com 17. Exercise 2B: Looking for Answers
Answer the following questions using complete sentences.1. In what
year was the first North American oil well drilled?2. In your own
words, describe how the whaling industry declined during the
nineteenth century.3. What event revived the petroleum industry in
the late nineteenth century?4. What are some of the concerns about
oil tankers traveling the BC coast?5. Describe what happened when
the Exxon Valdez ran aground on a rocky Alaskan reef.6. How did the
oil tankers accident affect the humans who lived in the area?7.
What products can you think of that are made from oil? Nonfiction
Text2Reader September 2012 17 18. Exercise 2C: Asking
QuestionsIndustrial Environmental Disasters In All Good Children,
Max likes to watch a reality show called Freakshow, where
disfigured contestants square off in an MMA-style smackdown. Hes
got his money on Zipperhead, a 22-year-old with scars from a
long-ago surgery that separated him from a conjoined twin. Heres a
little clip from the book: Two of this seasons contestants are from
New Mexico. Thats a rarity. Usually everyone is from Freaktown. I
cant remember the real name of the place its been called Freaktown
all my life. It was christened twenty-five years ago when two
transport tankers spilled untested agricultural chemicals on the
banks of the Saint Lawrence River. No one cared much until the
birth defects showed up: conjoined twins, spinal abnormalities,
missing limbs, extra limbs, enlarged brains, external intestines,
missing genitals, extra organs.When the same defects appeared in
the babies of agricultural workers all over the country, the
poisons were taken off the market and the shoreline was cleaned
up.It came too late. Even today, one in three babies born in
Freaktown has deformities. Nobody visits the city anymore.
Strangely enough, nobody ever leaves the place either. Freaktowns a
fictional place, of course. But similar tragedies have occurred on
smaller scales in our real-life world. Youve read about the Exxon
Valdez and the explosion of BPs oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.
What other environmental catastrophes have you heard about? Jot a
list on the lines below. Head to www.text2reader.com for links to a
few more human-caused environmental disasters throughout history.
Read these in preparation for the next section. Join up with a
partner or small group. Use Asking Good Questions on the next page
to help you develop a list of questions about industrial
environmental disasters and their consequences for humans, animals
and the environment. Use these questions as a springboard to a
deeper discussion with your whole class.Text Tip: Asking questions
helps you learn better. Health care research shows that
teachingpeople to develop good questions helps them take better
care of their bodies by getting theminvolved in the way health care
is provided to them. Similarly, good questioning helps to
developstudents ability to brainstorm, prioritize and reflect. In
other words, asking questions makes
yousmarter!18www.text2reader.com 19. Asking Good QuestionsThink
about some of the questions that came up as you read the websites
on industrial disasters. But beforeyou grab your laptop and
partnerdid you know there are actually techniques for developing
goodquestions?1. Your first step is to engage in a question
free-for-all, similar to a brainstorming session. The rules are
asfollows: Ask as many questions as you can. Do not stop to
discuss, judge or answer any of the questions. Write down every
question exactly as it was stated. Change any statements into
questions.2. Now, to get at the really interesting conversations,
you want to be asking open-ended questions. Workwith your group to
improve your questions. Toss out the closed-ended questions and
keep the ones that willdeepen the discussion. Text Tip: An
open-ended question cant be answered with a yes or no, or with a
short, tidy answer. Things like Do industrial disasters have a
negative impact on the surrounding environment? are called
closed-ended questions. Broaden it out a bit.3. Choose the three
questions you most want to explore further. Write them in the
spaces below.4. Reflect on this task. How is asking questions about
a topic different than doing research on that topic? Whatdo you
like about it? (With thanks to the Department of Education at
Harvard) Nonfiction Text2Reader September 2012 19 20. 3. graphic
novel This graphic novel excerpt is from On the Turn by Jay Odjick
(Healthy Aboriginal Network, 2007). In On the Turn, Brianna finds
herself falling in with a crowd of gamblers at her new school.
Before long, shes winningand losingbig. Shes hooked. And shes
having trouble finding enough cash to feed her gambling habit. When
Brianna gets caught stealing from her little sister, she is forced
to face her problem. In this segment, Briannas family has moved to
a new communitywhich means the kids have to start all over again at
new schools. Exercise 3A: Making MeaningReading the Graphic Novel
Before You ReadGraphic novels use words and pictures to tell a
story, right? But theres so much more to it than that. Here aresome
tips to get the most out of your graphic novel experience:1. The
pages of a graphic novel are broken up into panels. Each panel
provides pictures, and often words, thatmove the story along.2. The
panels are read in sequence, from left to rightjust like you read a
regular book. (Got manga? Thenread from the back of the book to the
frontand from right to left!)3. Graphic novels arent just comics.
They tell a full story, with a setting, plot and characters that
develop asyou go along.4. Pictures in graphic novels often tell us
more about the story than a regular film can. Sometimes they
evenunmask the meaning of the words. The expressions on the
characters faces, their body positions and thesound effects all add
to the words to make the story richer. (BAM! Did that get your
attention? Since graphicnovels are a silent medium, all noise has
to be created visually.)5. Much of the story is told in dialogue
through speech and thought bubbles. Each bubble has a tail, to
showyou whos talking. To figure out the order of whos saying what,
read the speech bubbles from the top of thepanel toward the
bottom.6. When the author needs to add a characters inner speech,
or extra information to help the story, he or sheuses a caption.
Captions are in boxes, and they can be inside or outside the
panel.7. Sometimes words are bigger or darker or different in the
captions or speech bubbles. This shows howthey should be read
(i.e., with an icy tone, in a frightened tone,
etc.)20www.text2reader.com 21. Graphic Novel Text2Reader September
2012 21 22. 22www.text2reader.com 23. Graphic Novel Text2Reader
September 2012 23 24. After Reading With a partner or in a small
group, work your way through the following questions. Jot your
answers in the space below the questions, and share them with the
class afterward. 1. The story leads off with two captions. How do
these captions help us as readers? 2. Explain how the
author/illustrator creates sound effects in the fourth panel. 3.
Look at Brianna in the fifth panel. How would you describe her
emotions? How do you know? 4. How can we tell how Brianna is
feeling in the seventh panel? Explain. 5. In the panel where
Brianna and her sister are in bed, what can you tell about the way
Kerri speaks her first word? What technique did the
author/illustrator use? 6. How does the way you read the graphic
novel excerpt differ from how you read the fiction and nonfiction
passages? Which type of text took longer to read? Why do you think
that is? Which seemed to be the easiest? Do you change your reading
speed according to how complex the information
is?24www.text2reader.com 25. 4. DIGITAL NATION PEOPLE, TECH, NEWSIf
youve used Google Docs, uploaded videos to YouTube or signed up for
a Hotmailaccount, congratulations: your head is firmly in the
cloud. This month, Digital Nationtakes a good, long gander at cloud
computing: what it is, whos using itand where doesall that
information go?The Cloud,CondensedIt used to be that you stored
your songs on a CD ordrive or other storage device in your
homelike,an mp3 player. Now you can access your playlists say, a
USB stick or an external hard driveyouwith your SmartPhone. You
used to have to print offsave it to a remote database. These
storage systemsphotos or attach them to emails to share them with
are called servers and are maintained by thirdother people. Now you
can upload them to Face- parties. When youre ready to retrieve your
infor-book or Picasa. Back in the day, if you were work- mation,
the server sends it back to you (or lets youing on a group project,
everyone would make theirchange files on the server itself) through
a Web-changes to the hard copy, which required a lot ofbased
interface.passing paper back and forth and merging multiple No
matter what kind of data it stores, everychanges to the same
document. Not anymore: weve cloud provider needs to house all of
its equipmentgot Google Docs. somewhere. Some storage systems are
small and Nowadays our information exchanges are dont take up a lot
of space. Others are huge andinstantaneous, thanks to the cloud.can
fill warehouses. These data centers are scat- tered all over the
world, from Boston to BombayWhat is the cloud, anyway? and beyond.
The cloud is the Internet itself. And while cloud It would be
pretty crazy to store all of yourcomputing isnt exactly new (Flickr
and Yahoo Mail important information on just one server,
though,have been around for years), were hearing a lot right? For
this reason, cloud providers make suremore about it now, in part
because of the popularity your information is recorded onto many
comput-of websites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.ers. This is
called building in redundancy. Most In cloud computing, you send
your files throughproviders will also have servers connected tothe
Internet to a storage system outside your com- different power
supplies. So if Toronto suffers aputeroften even outside your
country. So insteadblackout, Berlins servers will likely still be
work-of storing information to your computers hard ing, meaning
your information wont be lost. Digital Nation Text2Reader September
2012 25 26. Some cloud providers, like Google Docs, offerBut wait.
Is that a thundercloud I see?their services for free. Others, like
Dropbox, let Nothings perfect, and cloud computing is noyou have a
certain amount of storage space for free, exception. Some people
worry that with all theand then if you fill that up you can buy
more. redundancy and access to information in the cloud, we might
lose privacy. For example, what happens when Company X stores its
data in the cloudand Ireland: Not just then goes out of business?
Who owns that data?potatoes anymore Can the cloud provider delete
the businesss files Ireland has popped up as from its servers to
free up space? a really good place to stick Concerns about privacy
might not be a big deal data centers. Its ideally for regular
people whose biggest secrets are who located between Europe theyre
crushing on and how much they dislike it and North America, and
when their BFF talks with her mouth full, but what its naturally
cool climate about governments and health care providers? offers a
more sensible way How do police departments work together to catch
to cool hot equipment than criminals if the criminals can track
their manhunts using air-conditioning. in the cloud? Other risks
posed by cloud computing: hackers can pull information off of data
center servers, or worse yet, break in and take the servers
themselves.The Only Cloud People Actually LoveIts also possible
that a cloud company could go out of business and leave millions of
people with-Cloud services tend to be subscription-based, out
access to their information. And some peoplewhere you pay for what
you use, or you buy worry that because not every country has the
samea certain amount of time to access the pro- kinds of privacy
and security laws, the security ofgram. Either way, its cheaper
than buying your data could be compromised.expensive software to
run the programs youwant.Businesses love cloud computing becauseThe
Silver Lining For the most part, doing business in the cloudthey no
longer need a big IT department to is pretty safe. First of all,
users of any program arefix software bugs, maintain programs or
keep supposed to read the End User Licensing Agree-track of
software licenses; thats all done by ment (EULA) before they click
accept. (You dothe people who operate the cloud service. do that,
dont you?) Cloud storage companies areAnother reason people love
the cloud is be- careful to protect your data through
encryption.cause it offers limitless storage. You dont Requiring
users to log in using a password andhave to worry about losing your
CDs or data user ID also increases security, and ensures no
oneports. Backups and saving are frequent. else can access your
files. You can access your information from any- Reliable,
convenient, cheap and accessible fromwhere in the world, on any
computer, just by anywhere in the world, the cloud makes
informa-logging into the program youre using. And tion storage and
exchange easier than ever before.with cloud computing, multiple
users can ac-cess the same documents, meaning you cancollaborate
efficiently with WAY less paper.26www.text2reader.com 27. Exercise
4A: Looking for AnswersAnswer the following questions using
complete sentences.1. Explain what cloud computing is in your own
words.2. Where do cloud providers keep the equipment required to
provide their services?3. Explain the measures cloud providers have
taken to keep users information safe.4. What are the advantages of
cloud computing?5. Explain some of the possible downsides of cloud
computing.6. As you see it, how has cloud computing changed the
world for the better?7. How have you used cloud computing in your
own life? Digital Nation Text2Reader September 2012 27 28. Exercise
4A: Looking for Answers Choose the best response for each question
about the passage. 1. Before cloud computing, information was: a.
shared instantaneously and efficiently b. saved onto hard drives
and external storage devices c. the IT departments problem d. at
risk of being lost e. b and d 2. In cloud computing, files are sent
through:a. serversb. data centersc. cloud providersd. the
Internete. third parties 3. Data centers are: a. where a providers
physical equipment is located b. where cloud companies work c.
located around the world d. a, b and c e. a and c only 4. Cloud
providers back up users data in a process called:a. data centersb.
redundancyc. an interfaced. subscription 5. Among the advantages of
cloud computing are that: a. its cheaper than buying software b.
maintenance and repairs are done by the cloud provider c. storage
is unlimited d. all of the above e. a and c only 6. Some people
worry that:a. every country has the same kinds of privacy and
security lawsb. hackers will encrypt users datac. cloud computing
puts our privacy at riskd. power outages will jeopardize
data28www.text2reader.com 29. Exercise 4B: Words in TextIn this
exercise, youve got choice. Select one of the following options
tohelp you explore some of the new terminology from this months
DigitalNation article.Option A: Explore a single term using the
Frayer Model1. Working with a partner, choose one of the following
terms from The Cloud, Condensed: interface redundancy
collaboratecompromise2. Use the Frayer model on the next page to
organize information about this term. Write your chosen termin the
center of the Frayer model. In the appropriate spaces, record: a
definition of the term (use a dictionary or a website like
VisuWords.com if you like) facts about the term (from the article
and from what you already know) examples of where or how this term
would be used non-examples (you can use antonyms if you like)Option
B: Create a glossary of terms1. Select six of the bolded terms from
The Cloud, Condensed.2. Using a print or digital dictionary, locate
the definition for three of these words.3. Write the definition for
each word.4. Use each word in a sentence of your own creation.5.
For the remaining three terms, define each of them in context.
(That means using the words, sentencesand other information that
surround a given word to figure out what it means.)6. Use each term
in a sentence of your own creation. Digital Nation Text2Reader
September 2012 29 30. Frayer ModelDefinition in your own
wordsFacts/characteristics30www.text2reader.comTermExamplesNon-examples
31. 5. readers theaterOn the Turn,by Jay OdjickOn the following
pages youll find the Readers Theater script for this issue. Want
more? Go towww.text2reader.com for additional Readers Theater
scripts.When youre doing Readers Theater, its important to remember
that its a reading exercise. Youre notexpected to memorize your
lines! Take plenty of time to rehearse. Use vivid intonation
andgestures to liven up your part. Props? Costumes? Up to you.Read
through the scoring rubric below. This will help you figure out how
youll be marked. Buteven more importantly, itll give you tips on
how to create the most powerful Readers Theaterperformance you can.
Assessment Rubric: Readers Theater Level 1 Level 2Level
3(Approaching) (Meeting) (Exceeding) VOLUME Speaks too softly (or
Usually speaks loudlyConsistently speakstoo loudly) for enough for
audience to loudly enough foraudience to hearhear audience to hear
CLARITYMany words pro- Most words are pro-Words are
pronouncednounced incorrectly,nounced correctly andcorrectly and
are easilytoo fast or slow; are easily understoodunderstoodmumbling
READS WITH Reads with little or no Usually reads with Consistently
reads with EXPRESSION expressionappropriate expression appropriate
expression READS IN TURNRarely takes turns on a Takes turns
accurately Takes turns accuratelyconsistent basison a somewhat
consis-on a consistent basistent basisCOOPERATESDifficulty in
working Sometimes works well Consistently works wellWITH GROUPwith
others with otherswith othersReaders Theater Text2Reader September
2012 31 32. Exercise 5A: Readers TheaterOn the TurnThe following
scene is adapted from On the Turn by Jay Odjick (Healthy
AboriginalNetwork, 2007). Cast of Characters (in order of
appearance):NarratorMom: Briannas momBrianna: an aboriginal teen
whos irritated about having to move to a newcommunity; she falls in
with a group of kids at school who like to gambleKristy: an Ojibway
girl who befriends BriannaGwen: a friend of KristyMegan: a friend
of KristyGamblers #1, 2 and 3: studentsReese: a guy at school who
runs poker games Scene Summary Briannas family has just moved. She
and her little sister are both starting at new schools this year.
Brianna feels anxious about starting over with in an entirely new
group of people. When Brianna bumps into Kristy, she meets her
first friend at school. Unfortunately, Kristy and her pals get
their kicks from gamblingand before long, Brianna finds she wants
in on the action.Mom: So? You guys excited to start at your new
schools on Monday?Brianna: [sarcastically] Yeah. Stoked.Mom: Whats
the problem, Brianna?Brianna: Are you kidding me? Where do I start?
How about us moving to a dump whereI dont know anybody? Or having
to share a room with my little sister?Mom: Weve been over this
already. Its not just YOU. We all have to do our
part.32www.text2reader.com 33. Brianna: Ive heard about enough of
this. Its always the same thing. Im going to myroom. [laughs
bitterly] Sorry. I meant OUR room.Narrator:Brianna loved her little
sister, but she felt frustrated at having to uproot her lifeand
leave her old community. For little Kerri, it was an adventure. But
forBrianna, it meant having to start all over again. Shed find out
soon enough howeasy it was to settle in: she was about to start at
her new school the next day.Brianna: [bumping into Kristy]
Oof.Kristy: Hey! Watch it!Brianna: S-s-sorry. I wasnt watching
where I was going.Kristy: Its okay. Hey, you aboriginal?Brianna:
Yeah, Algonquin.Kristy: Cool! Me too! Ojibway. Im Kristy. This is
Gwen, and this is Megan.Gwen Hey.& Megan:Brianna: Hey. Names
Brianna.Kristy: Sucks being the new kid, huh?Brianna: [looking
around] Totally.Kristy: You a senior?Brianna: Yeah. One more year,
thank god. [nodding at Kristys iPod] Hey, cool iPod. What size is
it?Kristy: Four gig.Brianna: Nice!Kristy: What size is
yours?Brianna: I, uh, I dont have one. Readers Theater Text2Reader
September 2012 33 34. Kristy, Gwen You dont have one?? & Megan:
Brianna: [defensively] Hey, I dont have a rich family, okay? Gwen:
Well, neither do any of us. Brianna: Well, I just assumed, judging
from your nice clothes and stuff. Kristy: Nah. I bought this
myself. Brianna: How can you afford stuff like that? Kristy: I won
a big pot. Brianna: A big pot? Kristy: Yeah. A big pot. Lets hook
up at lunch time. Well show you. Narrator:At lunch time, Kristy,
Megan and Gwen caught up with Brianna at her locker. Kristy, Gwen
Hey, Brianna! & Megan: Kristy: You got any money? Brianna: A
little. Its for my lunch. Kristy: Oh. Wellcome on, the game will be
starting soon. Narrator: The girls walk outside. Groups of people
crowd around a couple of picnic tables where a game of cards is
being played. Brianna: Whats going on? Kristy: Theyre playing hold
em. Brianna: Hold em? Kristy: Texas hold em. Poker! Cmon! I want to
get in on one. Narrator: As the girls approach the tables, they can
hear the players talking to one another.34www.text2reader.com 35.
Gambler #1: Ten of diamonds on the turn.Narrator: Kristy introduces
Brianna to Reese, one of the guys who runs the poker games.Reese:
Well, well. Here to lose a little cash, Kristy?Kristy: Not today,
Reese. Im feelin it.Reese: Deal you in on the next round.Kristy:
Cool.Reese: Whos your girl?Kristy: This is Brianna. Shes
cool.Reese: [to Brianna] Sup?Brianna:Hi. [turning and whispering to
Kristy] How much money is that on the table?Kristy:About
seventy-five bucks.Gambler #1: Raise it five.Brianna: Seventy-five
dollars?!Kristy: Thats nothing. Ive seen some pots at two fifty,
even three hundred.Reese: I see your five and raise you
twenty.Gambler #1: [sighing] I fold.Gambler #2: [irritated] I
fold.Gambler #3: [throwing cards down] Damn. Im out.Reese:
[laughing and collecting the cash] Now thats what Im talkin bout,
son!Kristy: OK, now deal me in.Narrator: After the game, Kristy and
Brianna walk back to class. Readers Theater Text2Reader September
2012 35 36. Brianna: How much did you lose? Kristy:[shrugging] Only
about forty bucks. Stupid Reese. I beat him a few times, but he
rarely loses. Brianna:Do you always lose so much? Kristy: Sometimes
more, but it all evens out in the end anyway. You gonna try it?
Brianna:I dont know how to play. Kristy: [giving Bri a playful
push] I can show you at my place. Its easy.36www.text2reader.com
37. Exercise 5B: Write It DownGetting into Character From reading
the script for On the Turn, you know that gambling is only one
possible problem that can undermine the integrity of young people
at school. In this exercise, youre going to think critically about
some of the other pitfalls of sharing the high school experience
with a group of same-aged peers.1. With a partner or in a small
group, brainstorm a few issues that face teens at school today.
Examples wouldbe falling into a group thats stealing or doing
drugs. But as you well know, there are plenty more!2. Choose one of
these issues.3. Engage in a quick role play where you and your
partner(s) assume different characters. At least one of
thecharacters is facing a problem related to your chosen issue (for
example, your main character is at a partyand is being pressured
into joining a drinking game). Flip the script and do another role
play where yourcharacter behaves differently. Do it again. This
helps you to get a feel for the issue and for the different ways
aperson might react when faced with a problem.4. Write a script
around one character that shows how this issue affects him or her.
Make it real, like whatwould happen in your world.As you write your
script, keep in mind the following: it should have three or four
parts so there can be engaging dialogue between the characters that
shows how the problem develops your main characters problem should
be apparent to the audience so theyre not left guessing what the
issue is every line of dialogue should push the plot of the story
further ahead, build suspense, or develop your characters
personalities your main character should be presented with the
problem and try to find a solution. You dont necessarily have to
solve the problem by the time the script ends (for example, you may
choose a cliffhanger ending instead that leaves the audience
wondering what s/hell do) your script should be at least two pages
in length use staging instructions so readers know what kinds of
voices and expressions to use consult the rubric on the following
page to guide youReaders Theater Text2Reader September 2012 37 38.
Scriptwriting RubricASPECTNOT YETMEETSFULLY MEETS
EXCEEDSAPPROACHINGEXPECTATIONSEXPECTATIONS
EXPECTATIONSEXPECTATIONS(MINIMAL LEVEL) STORY problem is simple or
problem is realistic problem is evident and problem is well
developed38www.text2reader.comDEVELOMENTunrealistic storyline is
predictable well developed and thoroughly explored by development
of the series of events without series of related events; storyline
is engaging andcharactersproblem problem or resolution focus may
wander; ending somewhat unpredictable believable events, but often
general flow of the story often loses focus; ends weak events
develop logically unpredictable; ending mayabruptly to a believable
ending have a twist or cliffhanger CHARACTER SPEECH simple
language; may be conversational language, language is varied; clear
language is varied; the clarity, variety andinappropriate or
confusingwith some variety; may feeling that these words are sense
of true conversation isimpact of languagein places seem stiff or
inauthentic at being spoken evident clear sense of the character
dialogue is non-times dialogue creates forward dialogue drives the
story spoken wordsensical or fails to drive character dialogue
ismomentum, with each part forward, engaging readersstory forward
evident and conveys theadding information orwith revelations that
helpstoryemotion to the scene to build out the scene andproblem
FORM & STYLE little sense of audience some sense of audience
sense of audience clear awareness of sense of audience script is
too short or long script is too short or long script is two to
three pages audience length of script staging instructions are
staging instructions are in length script is two to four pages in
staging instructionsabsentsimplistic and do not add staging
instructions are lengthto the scene appropriate and add staging
instructions develop texture to the scene and enhance the scene
andthe characters interactions 39. Want to know more about the
topics covered in this issue of Text2Reader?Heres a list of
resources related to what we covered in this issue of Text2Reader.
Visit the T2R website foreven more Web links.FictionBobet, Leah.
Above. Arthur A. Levine, 2012.Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games.
Scholastic, 2008.Gee, Maurice. Salt. Orca Book Publishers,
2009.Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Bantam Books, 1993.NonfictionBurns,
Loree Griffin. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam & The Science of
Ocean Motion. Thomas Allen, 2010.Gore, Al. An Inconvenient Truth.
Rodale Books, 2006.Hirshfield, Lynn. Girls Gone Green. Puffin,
2010.Sivertsen, Linda. Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to
Living an Eco-Friendly Life. Simon Pulse, 2008.Suzuki, David and
Kathy Vanderlinden. Eco-Fun: Great Experiments, Projects and Games
for a GreenerEarth. Greystone Books, 2001.FilmInvasion of the Body
SnatchersThe Stepford WivesFuel (environmental
documentary)WebGambling
Addictionshttp://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/gambling.htmlTeen
Ink Environmental
Resourceswww.teenink.com/Resources/EnvironR.phpText2Reader
September 2012 39 40. Answer Key for Exercise 1A: As You See
ItReflecting on the Text1. Max means that its ironic for his city
to boast about being environmentally sound when the city planners
chopped downthe forest in order to build it. His comment hints that
this way of thinking isnt uncommon in New Middletown.2. Look for
answers that include some relation to the word middlethat its
mediocre, average, middle-of-the-roadandthe word new, meaning its a
fresh start or way of paving over the mistakes of the past.3.
Answers will vary according to student opinion. Look for solid
reasoning behind either stance. Individual freedom isimportant for
self-expression and exercising our human rights; security is
valuable in an uncertain world, to protect usagainst forces of
evil, disaster or economic hardship.4. The rule that people must
have a home and a job to live in New Middletown helps to keep the
city orderly. There wouldbe no homeless people and no unemployment.
The streets would likely be somewhat safer and cleaner. The
citizens wouldnthave to deal with guilt as they go about their
business with hungry people on the streets. There are really no
drawbacks tothis kind of rule for the residents themselves,
although it would likely intensify competition both inside and
outside the city.For the people who are shut out of the city, their
opportunities are limited drastically by being denied convenient
access topotential job markets. Gaining a footing is even harder,
as any job an outsider acquired would require a longer commute
untils/he was able to find a home inside the city.5. Access to the
arts implies support for free thinking. The arts help us develop
our creativity, exercise our freedom of self-expression and often
cause us to challenge the status quo. The administration of the
city would likely feel that allowing itsresidents to enjoy music,
theater and art would jeopardize its control of citizens
behavior.6. Max attends an academic school where he is being
specifically trained for one job upon graduation. In contrast,
whilemany of our current schools are academic in nature, others are
vocational. More commonly, both are integrated within thesame
school facility. No one is required to choose their course of study
in elementary school, and we graduate with a wealthof choice and
options ahead of us. We are not locked into any one career.Answer
Key for Exercise 2B: Looking for Answers1. The first North American
oil well was drilled in 1858.2. The whaling industry declined as
the price of petroleum-based oil became cheaper. Supply and demand
was at work: askerosene became more prevalent and cheaper, the
demand for whale oil fell and the whaling fleets were forced to
pull upanchor.3. In the mid-1880s, Karl Benz and Wilhelm Daimler
invented the internal combustion engine, which breathed new life
intothe fossil fuel business.4. BCs coastal waterways are narrow,
and oil tankers are not immune to crashes. Fragile ecosystems are
at risk in the eventof an oil spill.5. When the Exxon Valdez ran
aground, it gushed out enough oil to fill 125 Olympic-sized
swimming pools. Thousands ofanimals suffered and died as a
result.6. The oil contaminated the fish and shellfish that were
harvested in the area. People didnt want to buy contaminated
sea-food, so the canneries and processing plants shut down and
people lost their jobs. The First Nations couldnt eat the fish
andanimals they depended on for food, either.7. Answers vary (there
are dozens, and students can find them using the link provided),
but can include: plastics, furnishings,clothing, shoes, jewelry,
pens, computers, backpacks, yarn, baby lotion,
etc.40www.text2reader.com 41. Answer Keys for Exercise 4A: Looking
for AnswersShort Answer1. Cloud computing uses Web-based programs
to manipulate and store data. Information is sent through the
Internet to aremote storage location provided by a cloud company,
and can be accessed and changed at the users convenience.2. Data
centers. These are located in different areas all around the world.
Data centers can be quite small or very large.3. Cloud providers
back up data on many servers (redundancy), and they make sure their
servers arent all running on thesame electrical grid. Data is
encrypted to discourage hackers. Users must log in with a username
and passwordand theyresupposed to read the End User Licensing
Agreement so they know what theyre signing up for.4. Cloud
computing is cheaper than buying software; it makes data transfer
instantaneous; many people can collaborate onone document at the
same time; storage is limitless; and cloud providers do all the
maintenance and repairs for the programs.5. Cloud computing could
put our privacy at risk; there are concerns about what happens to
information when no one onthe outside seems to want to take
responsibility for it; servers can be hacked or stolen.6. Answers
will vary.7. Answers will vary.Multiple Choice1. e2. d 3. e 4. b5.
d 6. c Text2Reader September 2012 41