Name______Student #Homeroom______

Wonders Unit 1, Week 4

Weekly Work Plan

Directions: Please work on this at home and in class. It will be DUE on Friday, September 12, 2014. There are three components to the work plan. Add this assignment to your planner and check off each item off as you complete it, please.

  1. Vocabulary Application
  2. Complex Sentences Practice
  3. Metaphor and Simile Practice

Vocabulary Application

  1. What have you seen that cascaded?
  2. Why is documentation important?
  3. Why are dynamic weather events often dangerous?
  4. What exerts a positive effect on your mood?
  5. What is a synonym for plummeting?
  6. Why do babies eat pulverized food?
  7. What might happen if you eat or drink something that is scalding?
  8. What is something that can break into shards?

Complex Sentences Practice

Directions: Ram Run is on Wednesday! Write a paragraph (3-5 sentences) about this major event for our school. You should have AT LEAST TWO complex sentences. Here are a few questions to get you thinking. You do not need to address these questions in your writing; they are just suggestions.

-What is Ram Run?

-Have you participated in the past?

-How would you describe Ram Run? Is it fun, challenging, exciting, etc.

-Why is Ram Run important to our school? (building community, a sense of teamwork, raising funds for the school, etc.)

Metaphor and Simile Practice

Here is a poem written by a sixth grader just like you. Notice the poet’s use of simile to create images and express her ideas. Write a poem that contains at least 3 similes and at least 1 metaphor. If you feel inspired, you may write more than one poem and have your similes and metaphors divided among your poems. For example, you could have two similes in one poem and one simile and a metaphor in another poem.

Chocolate Cake, author unknown

Friends are like chocolate cake,

you can never have too many.
Chocolate cake is like heaven -
always amazing you with each
taste or feeling.
Chocolate cake is like life

with so many different pieces.
Chocolate cake is like happiness,
you can never get enough of it.

Navigating Complex Texts

“Into the Volcano” is a pretty complicated text to read! It’s jam-packed with information. It also tells the TRUE story of how a volcano researcher risked her life while exploring a volcano in Hawaii. Complete the following “roadmap” to help you navigate this complex text.

  1. Read the WHITE TEXT first. This part is told in the first person by volcano researcher Donna O’Meara. She includes all kinds of facts about volcanos while at the same time telling a true story from her life.
  1. Next, preview the rest of the text. List the headings and subheadings below:
  1. One of our comprehension strategies for this week is REREAD TO CLARIFY. List three questions you had about the text, using questions words (who, what, where, when, why or how). Then write about how you answered your question. If your question was not answered by the text, write “was not answered.” You should have a total of three ANSWERED questions.

Question:
Example: What is a surface breakout? / Answer:
Example: A surface breakout occurs when a lava tube cracks and lava squeezes out. The lava is only visible briefly before it cools and hardens. This seals the tube again.

Think about what you learned by reading “The Monster in the Mountain” and “Into the Volcano.” Both articles are about scientists who risk their lives studying active volcanos.

Now read the information about Donna O’Meara on page 86 of your Literature Anthology.

What motivates both of these scientists? Include explicit information from both texts.

Use the graphic organizer to organize your writing.

Donna O’Leary / Marta Ramirez
Firsthand Experiences
Education
Concern for Communities Affected by Volcanic Eruptions

Helpful Transition Words and Phrases: