Miami-Dade County Public Schoolsextended Learning Module

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLSEXTENDED LEARNING MODULE

SUBJECT: Language Arts/Reading

GRADE: 8th

MANUAL:Teacher Manual/Answer Key

TUTORING SESSION 1

Benchmark Focus Lesson:

LA.8.1.7.3- Main Idea and Words

LA.8.1.6.3- Context Clues

FCAT Instructional Passage:

Cooking Up Superhard Diamonds

THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA

Ms. Perla Tabares Hantman, Chair

Dr. Martin Karp, Vice Chair

Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall

Ms. Susie V. Castillo

Mr. Carlos L. Curbelo

Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman

Dr. Wilbert "Tee" Holloway

Dr. Marta Pérez

Ms. Raquel A. Regalado

Ms. Krisna Maddy, Student Advisor

Mr. Alberto M. Carvalho

Superintendent of Schools

Milagros R. Fornell

Chief Of Staff

Marie L. Izquierdo

Chief Academic Officer

Office of Academics and Transformation

Dr. Maria De Armas

Assistant Superintendent

Academics, Accountability and School Improvement

Office of Academics and Transformation

Karen Spigler

Administrative Director

Department of Language Arts/Reading

Benchmark Focus Lesson 1: Main Idea

LA.6-8.1.7.3 Determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details and facts and patterns of organization.

The main idea of a passage or reading is the central thought or message. As the teacher reads the first passage aloud, follow along in your packet. For numbers

2-4, students can complete independently and then review together.

1. This activity can be played by yourself or with three or more. When playing by yourself, you would hold one end of the rope in each hand. Then you would turn the rope so that it goes over your head and when the rope gets near your feet, you jump over the rope. For three or more players, two girls would each hold one end of a long rope. Next they would turn the rope so that it touches the ground at the bottom, and goes above the players' heads at the top. The other girls would take turns jumping.

The main idea in this passage is: ______

2. Memorial Day is a great holiday because it reminds us that summer is just around the corner! It was first celebrated for more serious reasons. Memorial Day began in 1868, and was the day that Civil War soldiers were honored. It wasn’t until much later, that it became the day to remember all American soldiers who had died in a war.
The main idea in this passage is:______

3. Most animals like to travel in groups, but they also like to be unique. There are special names for groups of many different animals. For example, a group of fish is a school. You wouldn't call a group of ants a school, but you could call them a colony. A group of hens is not a colony, however; it is a brood. Then, there is a pod of dolphins, a string of ponies, and a gaggle of geese.
The main idea in this passage is: ______

4. A mortgage is a particular kind of a loan. When someone takes out a mortgage, they get money to buy a house. They must pay the money back, plus interest. Usually people make a mortgage payment once each month. The house is collateral on the loan. That means that, if the payments aren't made, the bank can take the house. In fact, the bank holds the deed to the house until the mortgage is paid.

The main idea in this passage is: ______

Office of Academics and Transformation - Department of Language Arts/Reading

2013-2014

Benchmark Focus Lesson 2: Context Clues

LA.6-8.1.6.3 Uses context clues to determine meanings of unfamiliar words.

Focus Lesson 2: Determining word meaning- Context Clues

One effective method for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words is to use context clues. Context is composed of the surrounding words, punctuation, and other words in the paragraph (McDougal Littell, 2003).

1. Definition Clue- A definition sometimes follows a word that may be difficult for the reader. A comma serves as a clue and precedes the definition (Mc Dougal Littell, 2003).

Example- The teacher announced that an assessment, a method of evaluating students’ performance, would occur at the end of the unit.

1. Restatement Clue- A restatement clue explains an unfamiliar word in language, which is clear for the reader (Mc Dougal Littell, 2003).

Example- The teacher announced that an assessment, or evaluation, would occur at the end of the unit.

1. Example Clue- A word’s meaning is indicated by an example provided by the writer (Mc Dougal Littell, 2003).

Example-The DVD player exasperated the teen because it skipped over entire sections of every movie, had a broken volume control, and could not be operated by using the remote.

4. Comparison Clue or Contrast Clue- The meaning is indicated by something that is similar or something that is different (Mc Dougal Littell, 2003)..

Example- The child was usually shy and tearful around his mother, but he was a bold leader with his friends.

5. General Clue- Readers may infer the meaning of unfamiliar words by reading all of the words in a sentence or a paragraph (Mc Dougal Littell, 2003).

Example- The student located his notebook, textbook, pens, and pencils prior to beginning the colossal task of the assigned project

Complete the following activity. Identify the clue and provide the meaning of the bold word.

1. The boy’s visual acuity was as clear as an eagle searching for prey. ______

1. The children were apprehensive about the upcoming test, but they completed the test with confidence. ______

1. The methodology, or tactic, used by the researcher was clearly stated in his report. ______

Work in pairs and write sentences using different context clues. Share sentences with the class.

Cooking Up Superhard Diamonds

by Emily Sohn

Diamonds are more than just sparkling gems.They also happen to be one of the hardest materials on earth.Now, scientists have found a way to make diamonds even harder by cooking them under pressure with lots of heat. Using the new technique, Russell J. Hemley of the Carnegie Institution of Washington and hiscolleagues claim that they have made the hardestdiamond crystal ever tested.

All diamonds are made up of carbon atoms arranged in a regular pattern. Some diamondscome directly out of the ground. Some are made in the lab. To make the gems even harder, Hemley and his group first used a processcalled chemical-vapor deposition to add more carbon atoms to previously created artificial diamonds. They then cooked these new diamonds with lots of heat and pressure.

Temperatures in the cooker reached 2,000 degrees Celsius. The pressure equaled thatexperienced 150 kilometers below Earth’s surface. Under these conditions, the newly deposited diamonds became superhard. The new diamonds were so hard, the researchers say,that they broke equipment worthabout $10,000 while testing them. The testing machinescouldn’t even dent or scratch some of thediamonds.

The scientists say that they can adjust the cooking conditions to make their diamonds notonly superhard but also supertough, so the gems won’t crack or fracture easily. Superharddiamonds would be ideal as a coating for industrial tools and medical implants and as the stuff from which to make electronic devices that work under extreme conditions. Individual gems would also make gorgeous, durable jewelry. The discovery of superhard and supertoughdiamonds could give new meaning to the old saying “Diamonds are Forever”.

“Cooking Up Superhard Diamonds” by Emily Sohn from Science News for Kids, copyright © 2005 by Science Service. Used by permission of Science News.

Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1What isMOST LIKELY the purpose of the article?

A. / to promote similar research studies
B. / to describe the composition of diamonds
C. / topersuade the reader to become a scientist
D. / to inform the reader how diamonds can be improved

2Which factfrom the articleBESTexplains why cooked diamonds would be ideal for coating industrial tools?

F. / The diamonds are created ina lab.
G. / The diamonds will not melt when heated.
H. / The diamonds are made up of carbon atoms.
J. / The diamonds will not crack or fracture easily.

3Scientists areMOST LIKELYinterested in diamonds because diamonds

A. / are expensive gems used in jewelry.
B. / are able to withstand heat in testing.
C. / have a unique physical composition.
D. / can be found in the ground.

4WhatMOST LIKELY led researchers at the Carnegie Institution to develop superhard diamonds?

F. / The demand for deposited diamonds.
G. / Their interest in the atoms of diamonds.
H. / The availability of new research equipment.
J. / Their willingness to test experimental notions.

5Which sentence from the passageBEST describes themain idea of the article?

A. / They also happen to be one of the hardest materials on earth.
B. / All diamonds are made up of carbon atoms arranged in a regular pattern.
C. / Now, scientists have found a way to make diamonds even harder by cooking them under pressure with lots of heat.
D. / The scientists say that they can adjust the cooking conditions to make their diamonds not only superhard but also supertough, so the gems won’t crack or fracture easily.

6Read the sentences.

Now, scientists have found a way to make diamonds even harder by cooking them under pressure with lots of heat. Using the new technique, Russell J. Hemley of the Carnegie Institution of Washington and his colleagues claim that they have made the hardest diamond crystal ever tested.

What does the word technique mean as it is used in the sentence?

F. / clerical support
G. / organized approach
H. / appropriate expense
J. / approved equipment

Anti-Discrimination Policy

Federal and State Laws

The School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida adheres to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment and educational programs/activities and strives affirmatively to provide equal opportunity for all as required by:

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended - prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) as amended - prohibits discrimination on the basis of age with respect to individuals who are at least 40.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 as amended - prohibits gender discrimination in payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - prohibits discrimination against the disabled.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) - prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in employment, public service, public accommodations and telecommunications.

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) - requires covered employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to "eligible" employees for certain family and medical reasons.

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 - prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Florida Educational Equity Act (FEEA) - prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, marital status, or handicap against a student or employee.

Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 - secures for all individuals within the state freedom from discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status.

Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA) - Prohibits discrimination against employees or applicants because of genetic information.

Veterans are provided re-employment rights in accordance with P.L. 93-508 (Federal Law) and Section 295.07 (Florida Statutes), which stipulate categorical preferences for employment.

Rev. (01-11)

Office of Academics and Transformation - Department of Language Arts/Reading

2013-2014