Main Idea
Text Structure
Author's Purpose
Vocab
History Facts
100

The most endangered rhino is the Sumatran Rhino. Only around 80 are still alive. They were hunted for their skin and horns.

Sumatran Rhino is the most endangered

100

The triceratops lived during the Cretaceous Period. It was known for its massive size and three horns on top of its head. It also had a skeletal crown that surrounded the outside of its head.

Description

100

What is the author's purpose in a Poem?

To entertain

100

Explains how two or more things are alike and different

Compare and Contrast

100

Who was the 16th president of the U.S.?

Abraham Lincoln

200

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.

Rodeo Clown is a dangerous job

200

Dinosaurs existed about 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago. This era is broken up into three periods known as the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The Triassic Period lasted for 35 million years from 250-205 million years ago. Planet Earth was a very different place back then. All the continents were united to form one huge land mass known as Pangaea. The Jurassic Period was the second phase. The continents began shifting apart. The time scale for this famous period is from 205 to 138 million years ago. The Cretaceous Period was the last period of the dinosaurs. It spanned a time from 138 million to about 65 million years ago. In this period the continents fully separated. 

Order and Sequence

200

What is the author's purpose in a magazine article about the effects of climate change?

To inform

200

A sentence that tells what text is mostly about?

Main Idea

200

Name one of the Spanish Missions in San Antonio

The Alamo, San Jose, San Juan, Espada, Concepcion

300

Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.

History/origins of Halloween

300

The Cretaceous Period was filled with dangerous predators, but two of the most feared hunters were the tyrannosaurs rex and the velociraptor.  The tyrannosaurs rex was one of the largest carnivores to ever walk the Earth.  He was 20 feet tall and weighed seven tons.  His jaws could crush down with 3,000 lbs. of force, enough to smash the bones of his prey.  The velociraptor was very small compared to rex.  Raptors only stood three feet tall and were seven feet long, weighing merely 35 pounds.  But the velociraptor was fast.  Scientists think that raptors could run 24 miles per hour and turn on a dime.  Both dinosaurs used their jaws to kill prey, but the raptor had a secret weapon: a retractable toe claw that he pulled out like a knife to slash at his prey.

Compare and Contrast

300

What is the author's purpose in a Gatorade commercial?

To Persuade

300

The author wants to tell you how to do something or how something works

Explain

300

Who was the first President of Texas?

Sam Houston

400

A penny for your thoughts?  If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars.  In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare.  Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny.  These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that’s a pretty penny.

Rare pennies

400

The dinosaurs lived on the earth for millions of years until a large meteorite impacted near the Gulf of Mexico. This led to a large dust cloud that covered the Earth for many years.  The dust cloud caused plants to not receive sunlight and herbivores died off, followed by the carnivores. 

Cause and Effect 

400

What is the author's purpose in a book about how to garden?

To explain

400

Author explains a topic using examples and characteristics 

Description

400

Why did the South secede from the U.S.?

States rights and slavery

500

Wolverines are medium sized mammals. They weigh no more than 50 lbs. Yet they have earned their reputation for ferocity by killing prey many times their size. But why do they get in so many fights? The reason why wolverines have so many conflicts with other animals (including wolves, cougars, and even bears) is probably because of the wolverine's preferred hunting style. Rather than chasing down or tricking its prey like most hunters, the wolverine prefers to take its meals directly from other hunters.

Hunting style of wolverines

500

It’s important to think critically about the information that you receive, or else you may be led astray.  For example, the brontosaurus is a type of dinosaur that never really existed.  Many people still believe in the brontosaurus today, but the “brontosaurus” is actually the body of an apatosaurus with the head of a camarasaurus.  This concocted creature was made from two mismatched fossils.  Had more people thought critically about these findings, analyzing the components that were presented, entire generations of school children may not have been misinformed; therefore, think critically about the information that people tell you, even if it’s information you find on a book or in a worksheet.

Problem and Solution

500

What is the author's purpose in an article that gives vivid details and imagery about Rome?

To describe

500
Supports and tells more about the main idea

Supporting Details

500

What European country first colonized Texas?

Spain

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