Sra: Imagine It!, Themes, Risks and Consequences, Nature's Delicate Balance, a changing America, Science Fair, America on the Move, Dollars and Sense, Level 4 [Grade 4]
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- Fine Art Theme Connection
- How did machines get America moving
- * thrive * locomotives
- As you read, understand what parts of the text are facts and what parts are someones opinion.
- America on the Move: Theme Connections
- Social Studies Inquiry: The Pony Express
- Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "John Henry Races the Steam Drill": bulged strain
- A tall tale uses humor and exaggeration to tell about unusual characters or unlikely events that are handled in remarkable ways.
- John Henry Races The Steam Drill
Unit 5: America on the Move After the Civil War, machines got America moving. Steam engines pulled trains loaded with people and goods from coast to coast. People flocked to American cities for jobs in factories. Factories used machines to make more products. Even farmers used machines to work more land. Skyscrapers and bridges dotted the landscape. The nation became large and powerful. What good things happened? What problems did people face? Fine Art Theme Connection Look at the lithograph American Express Train by Currier & Ives. * How does traveling by train compare to traveling by horse and wagon? * How did trains and other machines affect the landscape? Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 462 and page 463 in the print version. Currier & Ives. American Express Train. 1864. Lithograph. 463
Big Idea
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Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "The Golden Spike": * buzzing * hastily * ceremony * transcontinental * laborers * assistance * thrive * locomotives Vocabulary Strategy Word Structure gives us clues about a word's meaning. The meaning often changes when a prefix or suffix is added to the root. Look at the word hastily. Review the suffix -ly and the root haste to find the word's meaning. The citizens of North Liberty were buzzing with excitement. After a year of hard work, they had built the town's first animal shelter. Just yesterday, they had hastily added the finishing touches. A ceremony would be held at the shelter at noon. A famous singer, Celina Domingo, was invited to the event. Her musical show was making a transcontinental tour. She had just performed at North Liberty Theater the night before. What a celebration this would be! At exactly noon, the mayor of North Liberty arose from his seat to address the audience. All the laborers were there. Children and adults alike had worked on this project. They grinned with pride. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 464 and page 465 in the print version. 465
"Thank you all for coming," he said. "And thank you for your assistance in this project. It is such an important one. Let me welcome our special guest, Celina." Celina took the microphone and smiled at the crowd. "Your community should be very proud of all your hard work," she said. "I know this shelter will thrive. These wonderful animals should not have to live in the streets. Because of you, they have a safe home. Now we have a surprise for you." From behind the shelter came two remote-controlled locomotives . They looked like they had come from a child's ride at the county fair. "What is going on?" the people asked one another. Just then, a barking sound came from one of the trains. The crowd clapped and cheered when they realized that a dog was riding in each locomotive. They were even wearing conductors' hats! "These fine animals wish to thank the people of North Liberty!" said the mayor. "Thank you for a job well done!" Game: Test Yourself Write each of the selection vocabulary words in a notebook. Beside each word, write its definition. Study the words and definitions for a few minutes. On another page, write just the vocabulary words. See whether you can write the correct definition beside each word from memory. Concept Vocabulary The concept word for this selection is unity. Unity means joined together as one, as when people work together toward one goal. When is it important to have unity? Think of some people in particular who need to have unity to get their jobs done. What kinds of things can sometimes get in the way of unity?
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Genre Expository Text tells people something. It contains facts about real people, things, or events. Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion As you read, understand what parts of the text are facts and what parts are someone's opinion. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 466 and page 467 in the print version. 467
The Golden Spike by Dan Elish illustrated by Alan Reingold map by Jane Shasky Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 466 and page 467 in the print version. Focus Questions How did the railroad spur growth in the West? Why did so many people want to move to the West? 468
The one-street town of Promontory, Utah, was buzzing with activity on May 10, 1869. A crowd of one thousand people lined the streets. Reporters from nearly every paper in the country were on hand. A band from Salt Lake City raised its trombones and trumpets, ready to play. Top-level railroad executives milled about, waiting for the ceremony to begin --the ceremony that would mark the completion of the transcontinental railroad. Work on this great project had begun a full eight years before. The Central Pacific line had started in San Francisco and built east, while the Union Pacific Railroad had started in Omaha, Nebraska, and built west. Now these two great lines were to finally meet and for the first time in history connect the eastern and western United States. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 468 and page 469 in the print version. 469
And now, the crowd--mostly Irish and Chinese laborers who had borne the brunt of the work--pushed close. "Gentlemen," said Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, "with your assistance we will proceed to lay the last tie, the last rail, and drive the last spike." With great pomp, Stanford picked up a silver-headed sledgehammer, lifted it over his head, aimed at a gold spike, and swung with all his might . . . only to miss! The Irish and Chinese workers howled. Stanford was getting a taste of just how hard it was to build a railroad. Now Thomas Durant, the vice president of the Union Pacific, took up the sledgehammer, and swung a mighty blow. He missed as well. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 468 and page 469 in the print version. 470
As a worker was hastily summoned to pound in the final spike, a telegrapher sent the signal to the nation: "It's done!" From New York to San Francisco the country cheered as one. Back at Promontory, two great locomotives inched forward just close enough so that the two engineers could lean forward and shake hands with each other. A San Francisco author, Bret Harte, wrote a poem to commemorate the event: What was it the engines said, Pilots touching, head to head, Facing on a single track, Half a world behind each back? Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 470 and page 471 in the print version. 471 It was the joining of two worlds: East meets West. Before the railroad, Americans thought of the West as a wilderness populated mostly by Indians. On that day the fabric of American life changed forever. Farmers and ranchers had a new, more efficient way to send their goods to market. Settlers rushed west, and western cities grew up. America finally had the technological means to grow and thrive-- and become the America that we know today. For the first time in history, a vast country was made one. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 470 and page 471 in the print version. 472
Meet the Author Dan Elish Playing and writing music was Elish's job. Then he read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory again. He liked it so much that he wanted to write a children's book. Elish still writes musical plays. But now he also creates books for children and young adults. Sometimes he writes scripts for children's television shows. Elish grew up in New York City. He lives there today with his wife and their little daughter, Cassie.
Alan Reingold Reingold has always loved drawing and painting. He studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design. His artwork has been on magazine covers and movie posters. One of his most famous works is a movie company's logo. Of course, most people do not know he made it. Reingold has painted some American presidents. Faces are Reingold's favorite things to draw because they show thoughts and feelings.
Within the Selection 1. Where did the two railroad lines begin, and where did they meet? 2. Compare and contrast the Irish and Chinese railroad workers with the railroad executives. Beyond the Selection 3. The transcontinental railroad took eight years to build. What is the longest you have worked on a project? 4. What other modes of travel were invented after 1869? Write about It! Describe a time you took a long trip. Remember to add your questions about America on the move to the Concept/Question Board. 474
Genre
Expository Text tells people something. It contains facts about real people, things, or events. Feature
Maps represent a region of the earth. How do you keep in touch with friends who live far away? Do you call or send an e-mail? In the early 1800s, there were no phones or computers--only a slow mail service. When pioneers traveled to California, they often left family back East. Mail could take weeks or months to get to them by boat or wagon. In 1860, a group of men came up with a plan called the Pony Express. Horseback riders carried mail between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California. The complete route was more than 1,900 miles. The riders were young, brave, and did not weigh much. At each station, they hastily hopped on fresh horses in two minutes or less. After riding seventy-five miles or more, a rider gave the mail to another rider and rested. They traveled the route in ten days. When the telegraph was invented in 1861, messages could be sent across the country in an instant. The Pony Express went out of business. But its riders, who carried the mail through storms, across deserts, and over mountains, will always be remembered as heroes. 475 Think Link 1. This map shows the Pony Express route. Do you see the guide showing miles per inch? How many miles are between St. Joseph and Sacramento? 2. Why do you think the Pony Express riders had to be lightweight and brave? 3. Why does the Pony Express end when the telegraph is invented?
Vocabulary Strategy Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words generous and muscular. Use context clues to find each word's meaning. One visit to the circus was all it took. Mitchell knew what he wanted to be when he got older--the Strong Man in a traveling circus. His little brother Caleb's favorite characters were the clowns. Mitchell thought they were funny, but the Strong Man was amazing. He could pick up three acrobats all at once and lift them above his head. The muscles in his arms bulged all over the place. It was incredible. "I have to get started building my muscles right away," Mitchell told his mom. "Okay," his mom said, trying to hide a smile, "but don't strain yourself, Son." Mitchell started out with two five-pound dumbbells he found in the basement. This is easy," he said to his mom. "Can we get some bigger weights?"
"Your Uncle Steve probably would let you borrow some of his," said his mom. "He is always so generous with his things." Uncle Steve told Mitchell he could borrow his weights on one condition. "Go slowly," he said. "Do not try to lift too much too fast." "It's a deal," Mitchell agreed. After just a week, Mitchell could tell he was getting stronger. "Look how muscular I am already," he bragged to Caleb. "Wow," Caleb said. "I am a regular Paul Bunyan, huh?" said Mitchell. "Paul who? " Caleb asked, confused. "Paul Bunyan. There is a famous legend about him. Well, there are a lot of different versions of it. Basically, he was really, really big and really, really strong. Just like me!" Later that day, Mitchell overheard little Caleb talking to their mom. "You should see Mitchell's new muscles, Mommy," he said. "He is as big as Paul Onion!" Game: Legendary Words Write a short legend about someone who is very strong. In your story, use the words bulged, generous, muscular, and strain. Read your legend to a classmate. Then listen to your classmate's story. Both of you then retell a different version of each other's legend. Concept Vocabulary The concept word for this selection is mechanization. Mechanization is the change from having people do things to having machines do things. Think of two or three examples of mechanization. Have these examples been good for our society? How have they saved time, energy, or money? 478
Genre A tall tale uses humor and exaggeration to tell about unusual characters or unlikely events that are handled in remarkable ways. Comprehension Skill: Drawing Conclusions Take small pieces of information from the text about a character or an event, and use this information to understand something new about the character or event.
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John Henry Races The Steam Drill by Paul Robert Walker illustrated by James Hoston Focus Questions Who were the people who built America? How do stories travel? Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 478 and page 479 in the print version. 480
The Big Bend Tunnel was the longest tunnel in America--a mile and a quarter through the heart of the West Virginia mountains. The CO Railroad started building it back around 1870. There was plenty of hard work for everyone, but the steel-driving men worked the hardest. And the hardest-working steel-driving man of them all was John Henry. Now, John Henry was a powerful man--six feet tall and two hundred pounds of rippling muscle. He swung his nine-pound hammer from sunup to sundown, driving a steel drill into solid rock. Little Bill, the shaker, turned John Henry's drill between hammer blows and pulled it out when the hole was done. When there were enough holes, the demolition boys filled them with nitroglycerine and blew the rock to kingdom come. Then John Henry drove more steel--day after day in the heat and darkness and stale air of the tunnel. John Henry always sang while he drove the steel-- and at the end of every line he brought that nine-pound hammer down like a crash of thunder.
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This old hammer (Bam!) Rings like silver (Bam!) Shines like gold, boys, (Bam!) Shines like gold. (Bam!) Ain't no hammer (Bam!) In these mountains (Bam!) Rings like mine, boys, (Bam!) Rings like mine. (Bam!) Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 480 and page 481 in the print version. 482
One day, Captain Tommy interrupted John Henry in the middle of his song. "John Henry," he said, "the company wants to test one of those new steam drills. They say a steam drill can do the work of three or four men. But I say a good man can beat the steam. And I say you are the best man I have." John Henry rested his nine-pound hammer on his broad, muscular shoulder. "Captain Tommy," he said, "a man ain't nothin' but a man. Before I let that steam drill beat me down, I'll die with my hammer in my hand." "Son," offered Captain Tommy, "if you beat that steam drill, I'll give you one hundred dollars and a new suit of clothes." "That's mighty generous," said John Henry, "but don't you worry about that. Just go to town and buy me a twenty-pound hammer. This nine-pound maul is feeling light." Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 482 and page 483 in the print version. 483
The news of the contest spread through the camp like a strong wind whipping down the mountain. The company men said John Henry was a poor working fool who didn't stand a chance against that mighty steam drill. Some of the working men thought the same. But the steel-driving men knew John Henry-- and they believed in the power of a mighty man. That night, John Henry told his wife, Polly Ann, about the contest. "Don't you strain yourself, honey," said Polly Ann. "'Course we could use that hundred dollars--and you need a new suit of clothes." John Henry smiled and kissed Polly Ann. "I ain't worried about money or clothes," he said. "Don't y'see, sugar--a man ain't nothin' but a man, and a man got to beat the steam." The next morning, the steel drivers crowded into the Big Bend Tunnel. It was hot and dusty, and the air was so foul that a man could hardly breathe. The only light was the flickering of lamps burning lard oil and blackstrap molasses. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 482 and page 483 in the print version. 484
The company man wheeled the steam drill into the tunnel and set it up against the rock. It was nothing but a machine--all shiny and modern and strange. Then John Henry walked in and stood beside it. He was nothing but a man--all black and fine and natural. Captain Tommy handed John Henry a brand-new twenty-pound hammer. "There ain't another like it in West Virginia," he said. "Good luck, son." John Henry held the hammer in his hand and felt its fine natural weight. In the flickering light of the tunnel, the head of that hammer shone like gold. "Gonna call this hammer Polly Ann," he said. Little Bill sat on the rock, holding the six-foot drill in his hands. John Henry towered above the steel, just waiting to begin. It was so quiet in that tunnel, you could hear the soft breathing of the steel-driving men. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 484 and page 485 in the print version. 485
486 Captain Tommy blew his whistle. The company man turned on the steam drill. John Henry swung his twenty-pound hammer back and brought it down with a crash again like thunder. As he swung it back he began to sing: This old hammer (Bam!) Rings like silver (Bam!) Shines like gold, boys, (Bam!) Shines like gold. (Bam!) John Henry kept driving steel and the steam drill kept drilling. Pretty soon the whole mountain was rumbling and shaking. John Henry's muscles bulged and strained like they never bulged and strained before. Sweat cascaded down his powerful chest, and veins protruded from the sides of his handsome face. "Are you all right, John Henry?" asked Captain Tommy. "Don't you worry," said John Henry. "A man ain't nothin' but a man--and a man got to beat the steam." Then he went on singing: Ain't no hammer (Bam!) In these mountains (Bam!) Rings like mine, boys, (Bam!) Rings like mine. (Bam!) Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 486 and page 487 in the print version. 487
When they hit the end of the six-foot drill, Little Bill pulled it out and shoved in a longer drill--and then a longer one and a longer one still. John Henry swung his twenty-pound hammer and drove that steel. He swung and drove faster and harder, and faster and harder, until that Polly Ann hammer caught fire. The whole Big Bend Tunnel glowed with the blue flame of John Henry's hammer. "Time!" shouted Captain Tommy. "Time!" cried the company man, shutting off the steam drill. "Time!" gasped John Henry, leaning on his hammer. "I need a cool drink of water." While John Henry drank his water, Captain Tommy and the company man measured the holes. The steam drill had done nine feet; John Henry had drilled fourteen. "John Henry!" shouted the steel drivers. "John Henry beat the steam!" "Congratulations, son," said Captain Tommy, slapping him on the back. "I don't care what you say--I'm gonna give you a hundred dollars and a new suit of clothes."
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John Henry leaned heavily on his hammer and sucked in the stale air of the tunnel. "That's mighty generous, Captain Tommy. But you give that hundred dollars to Polly Ann. And you bury me in that suit of clothes." Then he slumped to the ground, clutching his hammer in his hand. "I beat the steam," he gasped, "but I broke inside." As his eyes closed, John Henry lay back against the black earth and whispered, "A man ain't nothin' but a man." Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 488 and page 489 in the print version. 489
No one knows the true story of John Henry. However, some folklore experts believe that there was a great steel driver named John Henry, who had a contest with a steam drill in the Big Bend Tunnel in 1870. The real John Henry probably did not die immediately after the contest but rather in one of the many accidents that were common in early tunnel construction. Shortly afterward, the story of John Henry was told in two kinds of songs: hammer songs, like the one that John Henry sings in this tale, and ballads, which are longer and tell more of the story. By the late 1920s, when folklore experts began to study the John Henry legend seriously, there were more than one hundred hammer songs and one hundred versions of the ballad. This tall tale is based on several different ballads collected by Louis W. Chappel and by Guy Johnson. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 488 and page 489 in the print version. 490
Meet the Author Paul Robert Walker When Walker was in middle school, he had a small role in a college play. It was great fun, and he was hooked. He acted and sang in high school. After working as a teacher, he wrote his first book. A few years ago, Walker wrote a play and began acting in it. He enjoys acting again. Walker, his wife, and his children live with their lazy fish and sleepy cat in Escondido, California.
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