What's for Dinner
What were the earliest tomatoes, watermelons like?
Tomatoes had very thin skins while watermelons were small, bitter, and hard.
Which statement best reflects a theme of the passage?
1. A single useful idea can improve everyday life for many people.
2. Most inventors succeed immediately without any problems.
3. Only inventions related to medicine truly matter.
4. Inventions are usually less useful over time.
1. A single useful idea can improve everyday life for many people.
What does Jorge often joke about?
Nevaeh’s name being “heaven” spelled backwards.
What major contribution did Marie Tharp make?
She proved the ocean floor has features
Why did the narrator dread going to school?
or
Why did Avni’s mother want to go shopping?
She feared not understanding English
or
To buy new clothes
Why did tomatoes need to change over time? How did farmers make tomatoes tougher before modern science?
Tomatoes needed to survive long-distance shipping. Scientists selected seeds from thicker-skinned tomatoes.
Who invented zippers and “zippers”?
Elias Howe, Whitcomb Judson created the primitive zippers. Then, Gideon Sundback improved it by adding more teeth so they would stay closed better. B.F. Goodrich invented the word "zippers"
(Page 41) Why does the garden become busy like a “beehive”?
Many people gather to see the caterpillars.
What challenge did Tharp face in her early career?
How did World War II affect women in geology?
Women were not treated equally in science
More geology departments opened to women
The phrase “like a hen guarding her chicks” suggests the mother was...
or
What did the nurse call the strange lights Auntie saw?
Very protective
or
An aura
give an example of a bio-engineered produce and its benefits.
(open answer)
Why was Margaret Knight’s paper bag invention useful?
Flat-bottomed bags made it easier to put things inside.
In Nevaeh's previous foster mom's metaphor, what do the milkweed plants, monarch larvae and the monarch butterflies stand for?
Milkweed plants = Nevaeh's home
Monarch larvae = Nevaeh
Monarch butterflies = Nevaeh would grow strong and eventually fly off.
What tool did Tharp and Heezen rely on for deep-sea data?
What was the purpose of the “ping”?
A continuous echo sounder.
To measure ocean depth.
What daily routine did the narrator and the mother begin together?
or
How did Avni finally get attention?
Learning five new words
or
She threw clothes in the air
What is hydroponic farming? Name 1 benefit and 1 drawback of it?
It's to grow plants without soil.
(open answer)
Why was Maria Beasley’s life raft better than earlier safety equipment? Name one situation where it benefited.
It was safer, foldable, and had railings. It helped 706 people survive on the Titanic shipwreck.
Why are Robyn and Jorge concerned after hearing Nevaeh talk to Hanna?
How does Nevaeh reassure Robyn and Jorge about?
They worry Nevaeh may prefer Hanna over them.
She still cares about them even though she misses her mom.
What theory did her discovery support?
What obstacle did she face?
What finally convinced scientists of Tharp’s discovery?
Continental drift.
Heezen dismissed her interpretation as “girl talk”.
The clear presence of a 40,000-mile ridge
How does the narrator feel toward her mother?
or
How did Avni feel at the end of the story?
Admiration and gratitude
or
Happy and closer to Auntie Tara
What is vertical farming? Name 1 benefit and 1 drawback of it?
Crops are grown upward in levels rather than spread across land.
(open answer)
Which invention leaves the most impression on you? Why?
(open answer)
Robyn and Jorge are Nevaeh's current foster parents. What is the difference between foster and adoption?
Adoption is a permanent, lifelong legal commitment where all adoptive parents need to fulfill their obligations.
Fostering is a temporary arrangement where the foster parents only provide daily care without any legal commitment.
What does the article show about the role of women in science?
(open answer)
Tharp helped challenge unfair barriers
Which theme is most central to the story?
or
Why was the story called A Dark Day with Bright Spots?
Parental support and perseverance
or
It was a hard day that turned out good