L  a  G r a n  E n c i c l o p e d i a   I l u s t r a d a  d e l   P r o y e c t o  S a l ó n  H o g a r

Chapter 8: A New Chewing Gum

Read the passage. Then answer questions about the passage below.

 

  Proyecto Salón Hogar

 

  Thomas Adams was a curious man who lived in the 1800s. He worked at many different jobs, but what he loved most

was inventing things. Adams spent most of his free time in his workshop trying to discover something new.
 

   In 1869 Adams got the chance to meet General Santa Anna, a famous general of the Mexican Army. Santa Anna was

from Mexico but lived with Adams at his home for a short time. Santa Anna introduced an interesting object called chicle

to Adams.
 

   Chicle is a sticky, white material that comes from a special tree in Mexico.

Adams thought about the chicle. Maybe he

could turn the sticky stuff into something useful. As Adams molded the sticky

mass into a ball, it made him think of rubber.
 

   At that time, rubber was expensive. His invention would sell if he could make

something that was like rubber, but cheaper. Adams agreed to buy a large amount of chide and began his experiments.

He mixed the chicle with rubber to make tires.
 

   It did not work. Next, he tried making toys, masks, and boots. Nothing worked. After a year, he thought about throwing

the sticky stuff away. One day Adams stopped at a store on his way home. He watched a little girl come in and buy some

chewing gum.
 

   The gum was made from wax. Adams got an idea from watching her chew the gum. He hurried home to talk to his son,

Tom Jr. Adams told Tom Jr. about the little girl and the chewing gum. He remembered that an old custom in Mexico was

to chew chicle.
 

   He suggested that they make the chick into chewing gum. Tom Jr. agreed that it was a great idea. They decided to

wrap the gum in small pieces of paper and sell it. Adams and his son worked quickly. They made enough gum to fill

twenty-five boxes.
 

   Each piece would cost one cent. They named their flavorless gum Adams New York No. 1. On his first trip, Tom Jr. did

not sell any gum. No one wanted to try it. On his next trip, some stores were willing to put the gum on their counters.

Customers began trying this new item. Gum with chicle was smooth, springy, and satisfying and became more popular

than the wax gum. Before long his father received orders for three hundred boxes!

 

   Adams kept making changes to the gum. He also added different flavorings to it. Then he invented the gumball

machine. His new company grew rapidly. It became the largest company in the nation that made gum. At last, Thomas

Adams' love for inventing had made him a success, and he had created something everyone could enjoy.

 

                      

 

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Questions
 

1) Who showed Thomas Adams some chicle?

   A. Squanto

   B. his mother

   C. Santa Anna

   D. no one

 

2) Why did Thomas Adams buy a large amount of chicle?

   A. He wanted to sell a great deal of gum.

   B. He needed it in order to experiment.

   C. He knew the price would go up soon.

   D. He thought he could sell it to investors.

 

3) Where did Adams get the idea to make chicle gum?

   A. a billboard

   B. a little girl

   C. a dream

   D. wax gum

 

4) At first Tom Jr. did not sell any gum because -

   A. it was not wrapped in pretty paper

   B. the gum had an unusual taste

   C. customers like chewing the wax

   D. no one was interested in trying it

 

5) What information best supports the idea that Adams did not give up?

   A. He worked with the chicle for a year.

   B. He met General Santa Anna.

   C. He worked at many different jobs.

   D. He asked his son to sell chicle gum.

 

6) Chicle gum became more popular than wax gum because it-

   A. cost only one cent

   B. was wrapped in paper

   C. had a good name

   D. seemed smoother

 

7) If the author added information about gum flavors, in which paragraph would it fit best?

   A. 5

   B. 7

   C. 8

   D. 6

 

8) Read this dictionary entry.
    

  

 

Which meaning was used in the story?

   A. 2

   B. 3

   C. 1

   D. 4

 

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Finding a Home

 

Read the story and answer the questions that follow.
 

 As usual, Jenny was sitting alone during recess. As she sat, she heard a quiet "meow" nearby and looked around. She

found a tiny kitten sitting beside the bench.
 

   He wore a collar showing the name "Lucky. She picked up the kitten as recess ended, walked up to her teacher, and

said, "I found this kitten on the playground. He has a collar, so he has owners, but there's no address or phone number on

the collar.
  

   Could we help find his home as a class project?' Mrs. March thought about her plans for the rest of the afternoon. As

she stared at Jenny's hopeful face, Mrs. March knew she would have to change them.
 

  "Are you willing to lead the class in this project?" Mrs. March asked. She had tried for months to get Jenny to speak up

in class, but Jenny had stayed quiet. Maybe this was her chance to shine!
 

   Jenny thought for a moment and looked at the kitten before going back to class. Once she had lost a pet of her own.

How could she help? She thought of an idea and began taking charge.  
 

 "Okay, we'll need to make signs to put up around the neighborhood. We should call the newspaper. What else?" she

asked the class.
 

   John suggested that they call the animal shelter in case the owners called there. "Good idea!" Jenny said as she added

it to her list.
 

   Soon students were busy drawing posters and choosing where to hang them. Two students were making phone calls.

Mrs. March looked on in surprise. Jenny was so confident and in complete control of the project.
 

   She was really showing an ability to lead. Jenny, however, was not thinking about being a leader or being shy. Her mind

was on finding this lost kitten's home.
 

   The two students making phone calls came back from the office and announced, "The animal shelter said that a family

reported a lost kitten named Lucky! They said they'd call the family to come get him!" The class cheered.
 

   Ten minutes later a woman showed up at the students' classroom door. The woman said with joy, "Thank you! We’ve

been looking all over for our cat!"
 

 

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   The next day pizzas were delivered to their classroom at lunch, along with a note that said, "Thank you for returning

Lucky. He was very 'lucky' to have been found by such a caring group of students."
 

   The class celebrated their success. Mrs. March celebrated too. Jenny sat comfortably with her classmates for the first

time, laughing and joking. Mrs. March thought it was indeed lucky that Jenny had found the kitten—lucky for both of them!

 

Questions
 

1) What does the word confident mean?

   A. quick to say something

   B. certain of her actions

   C. curious about people

   D. pleasant to work with

 

2) Which word means the opposite of success in the story?

   A. trick

   B. plan

   C. failure

   D. victory

 

3) How does Jenny feel about being around the students, at first?

   A. she is very talkative

   B. she is very quiet

   C. she is disruptive

   D. she doesn’t like them

 

4) Read this sentence about the story.

   “The students thought of different ways to locate Lucky’s owners.”

Which detail from the story supports this sentence?

   A. “Thank you for returning Lucky”

   B. “We’ve been looking all over for our cat!”

   C. “We should call the newspaper”

   D. “Are you willing to lead the class in this project?”

 

5) At the end of the story, the students have pizza because -

   A. Jenny’s parents send pizza to help her make friends

   B. the teacher has pizza sent to reward the class

   C. Lucky’s owners send pizza to thank the class

   D. the shelter has pizza sent to thank the students

 

6) Read the events from the story in the boxes.

Jenny finds a lost kitten named Lucky.

 

The students start working to find Lucky’s owners.

Lucky’s owners come to pick him up.

Which event belongs in the empty box?

   A. Jenny tells the students to begin making posters of Lucky.

   B. Two students report that the shelter may know Lucky’s owners.

   C. Mrs. March decides to allow the class to find Lucky’s owners.

   D. Jenny sits with some other students and laughs comfortably.

 

 

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7) What is this story mainly about?

   A. A shy young girl becomes a leader while working to find a lost kitten’s home.

   B. A group of students try to help a girl feel at home in her new school.

   C. A lost kitten shows up at an elementary school at recess to search for his owners.

   D. A strong girl leads her class in making posters for a school project.

 

8) What lesson does Jenny learn in this story?

   A. Finding a lost kitten can be hard work.

   B. If you want something done right, do it yourself.

   C. Sometimes a student feels nervous around other students.

   D. Working together helps people feel like part of a group.

 

Their, there, and they're

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate choice - their, there, or they're.
 

  1. Warren hates cleaning the bathroom because his brothers always leave globs of toothpaste in the sink, and

      _________ dirty underwear hangs from the doorknobs or

      lies in damp piles on the tile floor.

 

  2. Raymond's parakeets love to sit on his head; _________ droppings litter his shoulders like flakes of dandruff.

 

  3. After a few ineffective swipes across the kitchen floor, Kristy returned the mop to the closet. ________ it would remain

       for another six months.

 

  4. In a frenzy of packing, the Gonzalez family even boxed their poodle, Chiquita.  ________  moving into a new home

      tomorrow, and everything must be ready to go.

 

  5. Willard loves going food shopping late at night. The aisles are free of people, so ________  is no one to see him

      sneaking grapes in the produce section or filching cookies from the bakery.

 

  6. Russell and his friend Ted dived into ________ car and sped out of the parking lot.

      Dripping milkshake, Billy soon followed, shaking his fist and swearing revenge at the fleeing car.

 

  7. Lolita heaped her brother's plate with barbecue chicken, potato salad, and baked beans. _________ was so much

      food that Henry needed two hands to carry the plate to the table.

 

  8. Eboni and Andrea can spend an entire paycheck during one trip to the mall. They eat at the food court, shop for

clothes and makeup, and buy popcorn and movie  tickets with ________ last few dollars.
 

 

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  9. Maria gasped in horror when she looked at her new leather furniture. ________  were scratches and punctures all

over the armrests from the sharp claws of her cat Brandy.

 

10. After the long walk in the August heat, Norman's two dogs collapsed on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor, tongues

 rolling from _________ mouths in exhausted panting.

 
 

Authors can write:

To entertain, To persuade, To inform
 

Read each of the following and circle the author's purpose.

 

1) The Surgeon General has reported on the effects smoking has on the health of adults. Furthermore recent studies have

     found that individuals exposed to second-hand smoke over a period of time also suffer adverse affects to their health.

     Parents should avoid exposing their children to cigarette smoke and should educate their children on the affects

     smoking can have on health. 
 

Author's purpose: 

   A. Entertain

   B. Inform

   C. Persuade

 

2) The bear and his family went for a walk in the woods.  It was a beautiful day and they paused along the way to smell the

     flowers and marvel at the wonderful day. They soon came to a cottage in the woods and stepped inside to see if

     anyone was home.         

 
Author's purpose:

   A. Persuade

   B. Entertain

   C. Inform

 

3) The Iroquois Confederacy was formed by the Iroquois Indians in the Eastern Woodlands. The Confederacy was

     originally made up of 5 members: Onondagas, Senecas, Cayugas, Oneidas, and Mohawk. 
       

Author's purpose:

   A. Persuade

   B. Inform

   C. Entertain

 

4) When I went to Disney land I saw Mickey Mouse, Daisy Mouse, and Donald Duck but I did not see any of the other

     characters. I believe maybe they were doing a show somewhere in a tent. I really wanted to see the other characters

     because the ones that I saw are not my favorite.

Author’s purpose:

   A. Persuade

   B. Inform

   C. Entertain

 

5) When you tie a knot in your shoes, you must be careful to make sure you pull the knot tight or it will come undone. I start

     by pulling the strings out then wrap one around the other. The next step is to make a loop and take the other string to

     secure the loop at the bottom. Then create a loop with the other string and pull them tight. You tied a very good knot!!

Author’s purpose:

   A. Persuade

   B. Inform

   C. Entertain

 

Remember...Think about the author's purpose as you are reading for information.

 

 

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Literature: The Play, Stage Directions, and the Playwright.

A play is a dramatic work intended to be performed by actors on a stage. The performance of a play requires special costumes, props, a stage, scenery, lighting, and, sometimes, sound effects.

The document that provides the text and general instructions that guide the performance is called the script. The person who writes the script of a play is called a playwright.

The script of a play usually presents the stage directions written in parentheses.

   Example: BILLY: I miss being in the forest with you! (Billy waves to Barbara)
                    BARBARA: Me too sweet chunks! (Barbara waves and jumps up and down)

 

Draw a stage for your own play and place markers to describe what is what.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Folktales and Fables

A folktale is a traditional narrative, usually anonymous, handed down orally.

The fable is a short narrative that presents animals with human traits as characters. Fables always teach a moral, or lesson. They are also handed down orally. Some of the best-known fables were created by Aesop in ancient Greece.

   Examples: "The Hare and the Crow," "The Hare and the Tortoise," and "The Lion and the Mouse"

 

Circle the characteristics of folktales.

   1. They are transmitted orally.

   2. They are traditional narratives.

   3. They teach a moral.

   4. They are usually anonymous.

   5. They originated in ancient Greece.

   6. The characters are animals that have human traits.

 
 

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Vocabulary: Homographs

Words that are spelled the same but differ in origin, meaning, and sometimes pronunciation are called homographs.

   Examples: present - a gift or something special
                      present - there at that moment


Connect the figures whose names are spelled the same.

1. __

 

3. __

5. __

2. __

4. __

 

6. __

 

 

Homophones

Words that have the same sound but differ spelling and meaning are called homophones.

   Examples: The words pair and pear are pronounced the same, though they have different spellings. However, a pear is a fruit, whereas a pair refers to two matching objects.

 

Connect the homophones.

1. __

3. __

5. __

2. __

4. __










 

6. __







 


 

Read the words aloud. Write a homophone for each word.

   ____________ 1. you're

   ____________ 2. it's

   ____________ 3. there

   ____________ 4. know

   ____________ 5. inn

 
 

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Grammar: Main Verbs and Helping Verbs

The main verb describes the action in the sentence.

   Examples: A hurricane is coming! We will survive. We should go!


A helping verb completes the meaning of the main verb.

   Examples: A hurricane is coming! We will survive. We should go!


 

Circle the helping verb and underline the main verb.

     1. You may go to the schoolyard to play.

     2. You can do it!

     3. I would do it if I knew how!

     4. America was discovered by Christopher Columbus.

     5. If we get bored, we could go to the park, the movies, or the beach.

     6. They should leave early.

     7. The children will go to the opera.

     8. We must take shelter in a cave!

     9. Roberto has written a great play.

   10. I am drawing a picture of a tiger.


 

Helping Verbs

Helping verbs help to establish when something happens, or its necessity or probability. These are some of the common helping verbs: be, have, do, can, will, could, would, should, may, might, and must.

   Examples: "A hurricane is coming!" The helping verb is indicates that the subject of the sentence is in the third
                       person singular. It also helps to establish when the action is happening.

                       "We should go!" The helping verb should indicates the need to take action.

 

Check the helping verbs.

   __ 1. go

   __ 2. must

   __ 3. forget

   __ 4. get

   __ 5. want
 

   __   6. to

   __   7. could

   __   8. have

   __   9. should

   __ 10. like

   __ 11. a

   __ 12. write

   __ 13. need

   __ 14. submarine

   __ 15. can

   __ 16. you

   __ 17. receive

   __ 18. the

   __ 19. will

   __ 20. might


Circle the helping verbs and rewrite the sentences using other helping verbs.

   1. We must finish our homework.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   2. I can read a thousand pages in two days.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   3. The yellow team will win the tournament.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   4. Billy, Steve, Rob, and I will go to the concert tonight.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________
 

 
 

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Verbs in the Future Tense

We have studied, verbs describe the actions in the predicate of a sentence. They also establish when the action takes place. To express future time in English we use helping verbs. To form the future tense we keep the simple form of the verb and add the helping verb will before the verb.

   Example: We will survive!

 

Check the sentences that have verbs in the future tense.

   __ 1. Sandy is going to the movies tonight.

   __ 2. You should always have dinner.

   __ 3. We must get to class early.

   __ 4. It is storming!

   __ 5. Alex and Lulu will sing in the talent show.

   __ 6. Desiree will participate in the school play.

   __ 7. You have to clean your laundry tonight.

   __ 8. I will learn to play that instrument.

 

Writing: The Topic Sentence

The topic sentence is the sentence that states the main idea of a paragraph. Most paragraphs present the main idea in the first paragraph. However, topic sentences may appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a paragraph. To write a good topic sentence make sure that it expresses the most important thing about the topic. Remember that the supporting and closing sentences give more information about the main idea of a paragraph.


Writing a Paragraph about Nature

Drafting

Brainstorm about the value of nature. Organize your ideas and then write a rough draft of your paragraph.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________


Editing

Copy the topic sentence on the line.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________


Answer the questions about the topic sentence and use the answers to help your paragraph.

   1. Does the sentence clearly state the main idea of the paragraph? _________________

   2. Where does the sentence appear: at the beginning, middle, or end of the paragraph? _________________

   3. Is it well written? Does it have any spelling errors? _________________

 

Proofreading

Correct your spelling and punctuation errors and write the paragraph in the lines below.

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________

   __________________________________________________________________________________________


Share the final version of your paragraph about your views on nature with your Natural Sciences teacher.
 

 

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