Vocabulary
Central Idea
Characters/POV
Perspective
Central Idea
100

Read the sentence: 

I wanted to rejoin the group after sitting out for a while.
What does rejoin mean? 

To join again

100

Use respectful words. Don’t call each other names. Apologize when you are wrong. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Then you can solve conflicts together.

What is the central idea? 

Using kind words can help us solve conflicts. 

100

What words tell us that a character is telling the story who is inside the story? 

I beg and plead, but Ami won’t listen. I have no choice.

I have to call. Sally says, “All right.” But it doesn’t sound all right. I know she thinks I’m weird.

"I" tells us a character is telling the story inside the story. 

100

What is Pepita's perspective of Miss Chu? 

Pepita’s face wrinkled up into a big frown. She was sorry because she really liked Miss Chu, her teacher. Miss Chu had black eyes and a soft, sunny smile. Pepita also liked her classroom with bright bulletin boards.

Pepita likes Miss Chu 

She feels safe with Miss Chu

100

What is the author teaching readers? 

How Do Giant Pandas Behave?

Giant pandas usually live alone. They are mainly ground dwellers but also climb trees. Giant pandas can easily stand on their hind legs and are commonly observed somersaulting, rolling, and dust bathing (rolling in and covering themselves with dust or dry dirt). They can also swim.

What pandas do or how they behave

200

Quick as a rat, she scoots through my legs and runs around the living room. 

What does the word "scoot" mean? 

To move somewhere quickly 

200

If you are stuck, ask an adult to help you solve the conflicts. Ask someone to help who will listen and not take sides.

What is the central idea of this paragraph? 

Adults can help us solve conflicts. 

200

I’m so excited I run all the way home from school.

“Ami! I’ve been invited to a birthday party! There’s going to be games and toys, cake and ice cream! Can I go?”

What tells us that a character IN the story is telling the story? 

Words like "I'm" and "I" tell us that the storyteller is INSIDE the story. (1st person point of view)

200

What is Pepita's perspective of Babette?

“Pepita, yuck,” Babette said. “That’s not a name. That’s nothing but a noise.”

Pepita felt her face grow hot. She was angry. “It is so a name,” she said, “and it’s mine!”

She thinks Babette is mean / a bully

200

Walking away is okay at first. But it won’t solve anything. People need to work things out with each other. People should talk about their feelings. Talking can solve conflicts. Talking can make everyone feel better.

What is the central idea? 

People should talk things out, rather than ignore solving the conflict. 

300

Read the sentence from paragraph 3.

 Cubs begin to eat bamboo when they are 6–9 months old.

(paragraph 3) 

In the fall she gives birth to one or two cubs (but in the wild only one usually survives). Newborn cubs are tiny and helpless. They spend the first 100–120 days of life in the den in which they were born. Cubs begin to eat bamboo when they are 6–9 months old

What is the meaning of cubs as it is used above?

Babies

300

What is the author trying to teach readers in the following paragraphs?

As much as 98 percent of the panda’s diet consists of bamboo shoots, leaves, and stems. On each front paw is a wrist bone, which the panda uses like a thumb to help it grab the skinny stalks of bamboo. Unable to digest certain parts of bamboo, giant pandas rapidly pass large amounts of the grass through their stomachs on a daily basis.

"They spend as much as 16 out of every 24 hours feeding, generally consuming some 20–40 pounds (9–18 kilograms) of bamboo every day. However, hungry giant pandas are able to eat more than 80 pounds (36 kilograms) of bamboo each day."

Pandas eat lots of bamboo every day!

300

At the party, I’m the only one who brought her little sister.

What word tells us the narrator is telling the story and is inside the story?  

I'm (Words like I, me, my myself tell us a character is inside the story)

300

In the middle of the block, Pepita saw Mrs. Green digging in her garden.

“Hello, Mrs. Green,” she said, “Can I ask you something? Do you think my name is funny?”

“Why no, Pepita,” Mrs. Green answered. “Your name has a very lovely sound. It reminds me of bright little flowers.”

What is Mrs. Green's perspective about Pepita's name? 

Mrs. Green thinks Pepita's name is beautiful.
300

What do you do when you feel angry? You might feel too angry to talk about how you feel. Here are some ways for you to calm down and get the anger out.

  • • Take deep breaths and count slowly.
  • • Write down what happened and how you feel about it.
  • • Draw a picture.
  • • Listen to calm music.

  • What is the central idea? 

There are many ways we can deal with anger peacefully. 

400

What is the author's purpose for writing the article?

Here is an excerpt: 

The young usually leave the mother at 18–24 months of age and reach maturity at four to eight years. Giant pandas may live beyond 30 years in captivity, but their life span in the wild is estimated at about 20 years.

To inform us about pandas

400

What is the author trying to teach readers? 

The female giant panda is able to breed for only one to three days in the spring. In the fall she gives birth to one or two cubs. Newborn cubs are tiny and helpless. Their eyes don’t begin to open until the cubs are 6–8 weeks old. They begin to crawl a couple of weeks later and are walking at 3–4 months old. Cubs begin to eat bamboo when they are 6–9 months old.

The author is teaching us the steps it takes cubs to grow. 
400

Now it’s Sana’s turn to beg and plead. Ami won’t listen. Sana’s begging so hard she’s crying, but still Ami won’t listen.

I could just watch her have to take Maryam. I could just let her make a fool of herself at that party. I could just let her not be invited to any more parties, but something makes me tap Ami on the shoulder.

“What?” “Don’t make Sana take Maryam to the party.”

Later that day, Sana came to her sister's room and gave her a big, green lollipop. 

"I'm sorry, Sana said. "Thank you for helping me."After that, we're friends.

What is the theme of the story? 

You should do the right thing. 

If you do the right thing or help someone, you can make a friend. 

It's better to help than to get revenge on someone else. 

400

What is the theme of Pepita and the Bully? 

Always be kind to others. 

You never know what someone is going through. 

Sometimes people are mean, but they really just need a friend. 

400

Read the following excerpt from Working with Others: 

"Solving conflicts peacefully takes practice. Work together! Solve conflicts as a team."

What is the central idea of "Working with Others" (the WHOLE text?)

People should work together using healthy strategies to solve conflicts instead of just walking away. 

500

Read the excerpt from the article: 

What do you do when you feel angry? You might feel too angry to talk about how you feel. Here are some ways for you to calm down and get the anger out.

What is the BEST author's purpose of the article? 

To inform us about strategies we can use to solve conflicts


It could be persuade but the BEST choice for this article would be inform because MOST of the article is teaching us ways to cope with conflict. 

500

"Endangered Efforts"

Destruction of habitat and illegal hunting have contributed to drastically reduced numbers of giant pandas in the wild. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) placed the animal on the endangered species list in 1990.

At that time China began to expand its conservation efforts. By the early 21st century, China had set aside more than 65 nature reserves in an attempt to save the species. The country also made great strides in restoring the bamboo forest habitat. Giant pandas are difficult to breed in captivity, but expanded breeding programs have begun to have greater success.

What is the central idea of this section? 

Pandas are endangered, and China is taking action to help. 

500

What detail supports the idea that Ami does not care much about the situation? 

“She ate my lollipop! The greedy thing! She ate it!”

Ami says, “For shame! It’s just a lollipop! Can’t you share with your little sister?”

I want to cry, but I don’t.

Ami says, “For shame! It’s just a lollipop! Can’t you share with your little sister?”

500

“Maybe you don’t like anything at all,” Babette called.

“Maybe you don’t even like your name. Maybe you don’t even like yourself. And I’ll bet you don’t even have a dog!” said Pepita.

“You aren’t nice,” Babette said, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “You aren’t nice at all.”

What TWO details BEST support that Babette feels upset? 

a. “You aren’t nice,” Babette said, and a tear rolled down her cheek. 

b. “You aren’t nice at all.”

500

I have been told there are some problems on the streets. Some kids don’t know how to solve problems. No, not math problems—problems with each other. I need your help spreading the word about my tips!

What is the central idea? 

Some kids don't know how to solve problems and the narrator needs our help!