Main Idea
The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot statue of a woman holding a book and a torch. It is located on an island in New York Harbor. It was a gift of friendship from the people of France. It has become a universal symbol of freedom.
The Statue of Liberty is very unique.
The people of ancient Egypt created an advanced civilization. More than 6,000 years ago, they developed a calendar with 360 days divided into 12 months. The people made paper and learned how to write. They also built huge monuments with machines they invented.
Which detail best shows that the people of ancient Egypt were intelligent?
More than 6,000 years ago...
One problem with every modern Olympics is that is has become very big and expensive to operate. The city or country that hosts the games often loses a lot of money. A stadium, pools, and playing fields must be built for the athletic events and housing is needed for the athletes who come from around the world. And all of these facilities are only used for two weeks! In 1984, Los Angles solved these problems by charging a fee for companies who wanted to be official sponsors of the games. Companies like McDonald’s paid a lot of money to be part of the Olympics. Many buildings that were already being built in Los Angeles were also being used. The Coliseum where the 1932 games were held was used again and many colleges and universities in the area became playing and living areas.
problem/solution
Kayla saw the finish line in the distance and ran as hard as she could toward it. She reached the finish line and nearly collapsed on the ground from exhaustion. Suddenly, there was Brooke, congratulating her on a great race.
entertain
Once upon a time, there lived a princess in a faraway land. One day, she was captured by an evil witch! Soon Prince Charming rushed to save her and make her a queen.
Identify the TEXT STRUCTURE and AUTHOR'S PURPOSE.
chronological, entertain
The Erie Canal changed the way people moved goods and supplies in the mid 1800's.The 363 mile canal connected Albany, New York to Lake Erie in Buffalo for the first time. When the canal opened in 1825, building supplies and goods could be transported quickly and cheaply across New York State.Canal boats pulled by mules carried people and supplies the 363 miles.
The Erie Canal was very helpful to people.
It takes more than food to make babies grow up to be healthy and happy. If babies are not patted and hugged, they grow more slowly and are less healthy. Also they will not be as smart or happy when they become adults. Many studies show that love is the most important thing in children's lives.
Which detail best shows that babies need more than food to be happy?
If babies are not patted and hugged...
The Olympic games began as athletic festivals to honor the Greek gods. The most important festival was held in the valley of Olympia to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. It was the festival that became the Olympic games in 776 B.C. These games were ended in 394 A.D. by the Roman emperor in Greece. No Olympic games were held for more than 1,500 years. Then the modern Olympics began is 1896. Almost 300 male athletes competed in the first modern Olympics. In the games held in 1900, female athletes were allowed to compete. The games have continued every four years since 1896, except during World War II and they will most likely continue for many years to come.
chronological
Athletes should not earn millions of dollars a year to entertain us! If they weren’t paid so much, then tickets to sports events wouldn’t have to be so expensive, and more people could enjoy sports more often.
persuade
Willow Creek is very different from New York City. There are no tall skyscrapers in Willow Creek. All you can see are fields and sky. Instead of taxicab horns and fire truck sirens, it is so quiet at night that you can hear the crickets chirping.
Identify the TEXT STRUCTURE and AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
compare/contrast, inform
Did you know that giraffes are the tallest animals in the world? They are unique in other ways, too. For one thing, they sleep only about 20 minutes each day, and usually not more than five minutes at a time. (They have to remain alert for predators.) Also, every giraffe’s coat is unique, and varies in color from white to nearly black, depending on what they eat and where they live.
Giraffes have many unique features.
The peanut is a humble plant with hundreds of functions. Most peanuts are roasted in their shells and lightly salted. About half the peanuts eaten in the United States are ground into a thick paste called peanut butter. The rich oil made from peanuts is good for frying foods and is used for oiling machines and making soaps and paint. Even peanut shells are used to make plastics and to fertilize soil.
Which detail best shows that the peanut is important for farming?
The Olympic symbol consists of five interlocking rings. The rings represent the five continents- Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, and South America- from which athletes come to compete in the games. The rings are colored black, blue, green, red, and yellow. At least one of those colors is found in the flag of every country sending athletes to compete in the Olympic games.
description
If you want to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, follow these directions. First, get bread, jelly, peanut butter, and a knife. Then, put peanut butter on one piece of bread. Next, put jelly on the other piece of bread. Last, put the two pieces of bread together to make your sandwich.
inform
Honeybees form large hives. There are thousands of bees in a hive. One bee is the queen. She lays the eggs. Some bees gather nectar and pollen from flowers to make honey. Other bees protect the hive. Some bees keep the hive clean. Still other bees help the queen. Each bee has a special job to do in the bee hive.
Identity the MAIN IDEA and TEXT STRUCTURE
Honeybees have many purposes, description
Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind! Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.
Someday we will have robots that will be our personal servants.
Camp David is a secure location where the President can get away from it all. Established in 1942 by President Roosevelt, Camp David is located in Maryland, about 70 miles from Washington, D.C. in a heavily wooded area. U.S. Marines patrol the area providing incredible security. The Marines are part of the Navy. Because Camp David is so close to Washington, the president can be back at the White House very quickly in the event of a crisis.
Which detail best shows Camp David is safe?
U.S. Marines patrol...
The modern Olympics are very unlike the ancient Olympic games. Individual events are different. While there was no swimming in the ancient games, for example, there were chariot races. There were no female contestants and all athletes competed in the nude. Of course, the ancient and modern Olympics are also like in many ways. Some events, such as the javelin and the discus throws are the same. Some people say that cheating, professionalism, and nationalism in the modern games are a disgrace to the Olympic tradition. But according to the Greek writers there were many cases of cheating, nationalism, and professionalism in their Olympics, too.
compare/contrast
The American Civil War began in 1861. It was a war between the Northern states and the Southern states. Abraham Lincoln led the North to victory.
inform
Shawn Falco is the quarterback for the Washington Wantabees. He is a great quarterback. January 1, 2002 the Wantabees played against the Milwaukee Willabees. The Wantabees were losing 10 to 14. It was 4th down and 3 yards to go with 4 seconds left on the clock. Shawn hiked the ball but he dropped it and his team was unable to score. The team then lost the game and Falco quit football forever.
Identify the TEXT STRUCTURE and AUTHOR'S PURPOSE.
cause/effect, entertain
Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.
Pemmican is a food made by Native Americans.
Because lambs are sometimes eaten by coyotes, ranchers may hunt or trap the coyotes. However, killing coyotes may upset nature's balance. Scientists have found a way to protect sheep without killing coyotes. Coyotes are fed lamb meat treated with a drug. When they eat the meat, they get sick. Later, coyotes won't even go near lambs. They'll hunt rabbits instead.
What detail best shows that coyotes are important to nature?
However, killing coyotes...
There are several reasons why so many people attend the Olympic games or watch them on television. One reason is tradition. The name Olympics and the torch and flame remind people of the ancient games. People can escape the ordinariness of daily life by attending or watching the Olympics. They like to identify with someone else’s individual sacrifice and accomplishment. National pride is another reason, and an athlete’s or a team’s hard earned victory becomes a nation’s victory. There are national medal counts and people keep track of how many medals their country’s athletes have won.
cause/effect
Dear Mr. Seidel,
We think you should give us homework every Friday. Our weekends are so boring without homework. Please assign us lots of projects and essays!
Sincerely,
Your 7th Grade Students
persuade
Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests. Sumo wrestling is a sport that started in Japan. It takes place in a ring. Two players try to score points by holding each other down or pushing each other out of the ring. Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans. The robot that scores the most points wins.
Identify the MAIN IDEA and TEXT STRUCTURE.
Robots are used in sumo wrestling, description