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When you compare things, you point out how they are alike. When you contrast things, you point out how they are different.
Read the paragraphs below. Then use information from the passage to fill in the Compare-and-Contrast chart.
Trees are among the oldest living things on Earth. The baobab is a deciduous tree, or a tree that loses its leaves. Baobabs have very wide trunks that can grow to a diameter of more than 45 feet around. The wood in the trunk is pulpy and holds water easily. Most species of baobab grow in the hot, dry climate of Africa, from South Africa to Sudan. Several species also grow in Australia. Many baobabs live for 1,000 years or more.
Like baobabs, most coast redwoods are very old. Unlike baobabs, however, coast redwoods grow tall rather than wide. Coast redwoods are coniferous, not deciduous, so they do not lose their leaves. One of the tallest known redwoods is about 367 feet tall and 600 years old. The wood of the coast redwood is soft, red, and resistant to disease. Coast redwoods grow in areas along the western coast of the United States. They thrive in the foggy, damp, mountainous areas near the Paci! c Ocean.
Baobab Both Coast redwoods
Type of tree:
Type of tree:
Growth: Growth:
Wood: Wood:
Climate: Climate:
97My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd Grade 5/Unit 3
At Home: Make a chart that compares and contrasts your favorite food with the favorite food of a family member or helper.
The Mojave and Colorado deserts are two entirely 8 different ecosystems that exist side by side. Although they 17 are both arid, they look different, have different weather, and 27 are occupied by different living things. 33 These deserts are different because they are at two 42 different elevations, their height above sea level. The 50 Colorado Desert is below 3,000 feet in elevation. It has less 60 rainfall, fewer plants, and higher temperatures than the 68 Mojave Desert. The Mojave is over 3,000 feet in elevation. 77 It has more rainfall and temperatures can dip below freezing. 87 So Joshua Tree National Park contains two quite different 96 deserts. But the most remarkable thing about this park is 106 the area between the two deserts. This transition area is very 117 thin, generally less than a mile wide. In this slim zone, 128 animals and plants from both sides of the park are abundant. 139 But the cholla (CHOY-uh) cactus rules the zone. Don’t walk 148 too close to this “jumping” cactus or the spiny needles will 159 snag you. Ouch! 162
Comprehension Check1. Compare and contrast the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Compare
and Contrast
2. What is the transition area? Main Idea and Details
Words Read – Number of Errors = Words
Correct ScoreFirst Read – =
Second Read – =
99My Great-Grandmother’s Gourd Grade 5/Unit 3
At Home: Help the student read the passage paying attention to the goal at the top of the page.
• A linking verb links the subject of a sentence to a noun or an adjective in the predicate.
• The noun that follows a linking verb renames or identifies the subject.
• The adjective that follows a linking verb describes the subject.
• Use quotation marks to set off a direct quotation from the rest of a sentence.
• Use a comma before the quotation when the speaker's name comes first.
Work with a partner. Take turns reading the sentences aloud. The person who listens should add a linking verb to each sentence. Then look at the sentences together. Add quotation marks and the correct punctuation where necessary.
1. My uncle said Desert sandstorms unbearable.
2. The villagers excited when they see the new water pump said Ibrahim.
3. Why doesn’t anyone remember that baobab trees important for survival asked my grandmother
4. I always said that a snake happy in the desert.
5. The journey across the desert magni! cent exclaimed Carlos
6. I so satis! ed with the work that I did to help my grandmother prepare the baobab tree said Fatima.
• Use quotation marks to set off a direct quotation from the rest of a sentence.
• Use a comma before the quotation when the speaker’s name comes first.
• Use a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation mark to end the quotation when the speaker’s name comes last.
Add the correct punctuation to each sentence.
1. People always say The desert is no place for the thirsty dog.
2. My grandmother said, It’s important to have more than one means to get water.
3. “Hurray ” the people cheered.
4. To survive in the desert, one must be sharp as a cactus said my uncle.
5. How long do you plan on using the water pump? asked my neighbor.
Rewrite the following passage. Add the correct punctuation.
Fatima’s grandmother tapped her on the shoulder. “Fatima, would you please come with me she asked. Fatima agreed and followed her grandmother outside the village limits.
When they were away from the villagers, Fatima’s grandmother pointed to the baobab trees and said, “We should use these trees to store our own water.
My Great-Grandmother’s GourdGrade 5/Unit 3
85At Home: Write a dialogue between friends living in a desert.
The exact meaning of a word is called a denotation. Synonyms have similar denotations as the original word, and can carry positive or negative feelings, or connotations, as well. For example, two synonyms that describe a relaxed person are lazy, which has a negative connotation, and easygoing, which has a more positive connotation.
A. Look at the words below. Write the word with the most positive connotation on the line.
1. arti! cial, manmade, phony
2. peaceful, dull, boring
3. hurriedly, hastily, speedily
4. bright, piercing, glaring
5. sly, know-it-all, intelligent
B. Write the word with the most negative connotation on the line.
6. mislay, misplace, lose
7. drenched, sopping, soaked
8. disgusting, distasteful, unpleasant
9. distressed, worried, desperate
10. ridiculous, amusing, funny
C. Choose 2 words from above and write its exact meaning.
11.
12.
Vocabulary Strategy: Denotation and Connotations
101My Great-Grandmother’s GourdGrade 5/Unit 3
At Home: With a family member or helper, choose four of your answers above and write one more positive and negative connotation for each word.
A process diagram is a drawing that shows how something is put together, how something works, or how something changes over time. In a diagram, the important parts of an object are labeled.
Below is a diagram of the water cycle. Use it to answer the questions.
1. What are two forms of precipitation?
2. What is the gas that results from evaporation called?
3. What does the water vapor form during condensation?
4. Where does water go when it falls back to Earth as precipitation?
5. What source of energy drives the water cycle?
6. What causes water to change from clouds into precipitation?
2. Condensation: The water vapor rises, forms clouds, and is cooled bythe air.
1. Evaporation: The sun heats water in the soil, rivers, lakes, and oceans. The water evaporates and turns into water vapor, a gas.
3. Precipitation: Waterreturns to Earth as rain, snow, or other precipitation. Some waterseeps into the ground.Some water returns tothe ocean.
My Great-Grandmother’s GourdGrade 5/Unit 3100
At Home: Find a process diagram in a magazine or newspaper. Then explain the diagram to a family member or helper.
8
Name
All Aboard!
Prefixes
What other prefixes do you know? On another sheet of paper, list them along with theirmeanings. Knowing what a prefix means can help you figure out the meaning of anunfamiliar word.
a- on anti- against im- not in- not inter- among, between
mis- wrong multi- many, muchnon- notover- too muchpre- before
re- again, backsuper- above, beyondtrans- across un- not under- below, less than
Here are some words with these prefixes. Use the information from the chart above towrite what you think each word means. Then use a dictionary to check your definitions.Make corrections if needed.
1. aboard _____________________
2. supervisor _____________________
3. multicolored _____________________
4. misunderstood _____________________
5. international _____________________
6. preheat _____________________
7. nonstop _____________________
8. transcontinental _____________________
9. uncomfortable _____________________
10. overpriced _____________________
11. review _____________________
12. unbelievable _____________________
13. inexpensive _____________________
14. underweight _____________________
15. impatient _____________________
16. antifreeze _____________________
A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a word and changes its meaning. Here are some common prefixes and their meanings.
Juan was angry! His mom had signed him up late forbaseball, and now he was not on his old team. He wouldnot get to play with Tyler, Joe, and Brad. They had playedtogether for four years! And they all loved Coach Dave—he was one of the best coaches in the league. Juan wasnot even sure if he wanted to play at all. He just knew itwould not be any fun.
At the first practice, Juan walked slowly to the field. Hesaw one guy pitching and one hitting. The guy hitting struckout. “Great!” thought Juan. “I will be on a team with nohitters!” Juan continued on to the field. He saw some guysplaying catch. One guy missed an easy ball. “Perfect!”thought Juan. “I will also have to teach them how to catch!”
Juan thought about calling it quits when he suddenly realized that Eric, a friend fromschool, was on the team. Eric was a great pitcher! “Well, maybe I will stay for a bit,” Juansaid to himself.
Juan started looking around some more. He recognized two other kids he hadwatched when he had been on the other team. One was a fast runner, and one nevermissed a pop fly. “Hey! This team might be okay after all!” thought Juan.
Eric was excited to see Juan. “Hey, Juan! I’m glad you are on our team. We are goingto have a great team. Do you know who our coach is?”
Juan was sure the coach would not be as good as Coach Dave, but Eric wasexcited. "So, who is the coach, Eric?” Juan asked, somewhat indifferently.
“It’s Home Run Harvey!” Eric replied excitedly. “Home Run Harvey!” exclaimed Juan. “The one and only Home Run Harvey from the
university team?” “That is right,” said Eric. “His little brother is on our team, and he wants to coach.”
Juan could not believe how lucky he was to get on Home Run Harvey’s team! “So who is his brother?” Juan asked. “Tim is over there,” said Eric, pointing to the guy who had not caught what Juan had
called an “easy ball.” Juan felt badly for thinking negatively about Tim’s missed catch. Everyone misses a
ball now and then. Juan could not wait to tell his friends about his new team and coach!