Sra: Imagine It!, Themes, Taking a Stand, Ancient Civilizations Ecology, Great Expectations, Earth in Action, Art and Impact, Level 6

Ken Mochizuki

Mochizuki is of Japanese descent but grew up in Seattle, Washington, with his parents and his brothers. When he meets people, Mochizuki sometimes gets asked questions like "Do you speak English?" even though he has never been to Japan and cannot speak Japanese.

Mochizuki hopes that through his children's books he can "convey to young readers that they should actually get to know others, rather than assume things about them." His books show that Americans of Asian descent are part of American life and have been for a long time.

Dom Lee

Within the Selection

Across Selections

Beyond the Selection

Write about It!

Imagine you are the narrator of "Passage to Freedom." Write a journal entry that focuses on your feelings about the risks being taken in the story.

Remember to look for pictures of Europe during World War II for the Concept/Question Board.

Feature

Adolf Hitler has done away with civil rights in Germany. His power is unlimited. As a dictator, he can make any laws he chooses. All political parties are banned except his own Nazi Party. Hitler placed loyal Nazis in courts and all branches of government. He controls the media. People who are not loyal to the Nazis are sent to prison.

In the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin also rules with an iron fist. The government controls the media, and only one party is allowed. People who disagree with Stalin are jailed or they "disappear." Government workers fear their superiors . Millions turn in other citizens for acting against the government.

Germany and the Soviet Union both control their citizens. Both deny them rights. Each nation creates enemies to scare its citizens and prevent dissent. These countries speak out against democratic countries and notions.

The Soviet Union was founded on the promise of equality. It is a promise the nation's leaders have done little to fulfill.

By contrast, equality plays no part in Hitler's goals. Rather than equality, he wants a class system based on race.

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Germany and the Soviet Union teach us the importance of limiting government power. Laws must apply to leaders as well as the public. The United States models limited government well.

We would serve as a better model if men and women of all races were treated equally under the law. We will not spread an appreciation of democracy by wagging our fingers. Perhaps we can do this by becoming a better example ourselves. We cannot truly condemn other nations if we do not first condemn what is wrong on our shores.

Think Link

How does the fourth heading help you set a purpose for reading the section?

How could limits on government help give people rights in Germany?

Based on this editorial, what opinion do you think the author would have about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement?

Try It!

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by Gwendolyn Brooks

Focus Questions

In what ways do the poet's word choices affect the mood of the poem?

A man went forth with gifts.

He was a prose poem.

He was a tragic grace.

He was a warm music.

He tried to heal the vivid volcanoes.

His ashes are reading the world.

His Dream still wishes to anoint the barricades of faith and of control.

His word still burns the center of the sun, above the thousands and the hundred thousands.

The word was Justice. It was spoken.

So it shall be spoken.

So it shall be done.
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First They Came for the Jews

by Pastor Martin Niemöller
illustrated by Susan Keeter

Focus Question How does this poem relate to the theme Taking a Stand?

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left

to speak out for me.
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Unit 1: Test Prep

Test-Taking Strategy: Writing an Answer to a Question

Read these directions and questions. They would follow a story that you would have read. Think about what you should do.

How did the family earn money to fix the barn? Use details and information from the story to support your answer.

The story was probably about a family living on a farm. That means you should answer the question based on what you read. When you write your answer, you should use details from the story to show what the family did to earn money. Do not write about what you or your friends would do--only what the family did in the story.

Here is a different kind of writing task. Read the directions carefully.

You and your friends want to ride along a bike path to school. Your town does not have one. Write a letter to the mayor explaining why your town should have a bike path.

This writing task asks for your ideas. You do not have to read a story to answer it. In this case, you must think about the question and then write a letter using your own thoughts.

In both kinds of writing, you should plan your writing before you begin. Think about what you want to say, and then write in a way that makes it easy for the reader to understand you. Try to use facts to support your opinions.

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Test-Taking Practice

Read the story "A Concrete Plan." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.

"Look at that!"

The three skateboarders slowed to a full stop. Ahmir pointed to the metal bands screwed into the stairways and low walls in the plaza. These bands had appeared overnight, as if by magic, to foil skateboarders who wanted to ride in the area.

Jessica sat down on her board. She put her head in her hands and said, "That's it! This was the last place there was to skate in this town, and now it's gone."

The group was quiet for a moment, and then Paul asked with forced optimism, "What's the big deal?" Ahmir and Jessica gave him looks that made it clear what the big deal was. Paul continued. "My dad says that governments exist to help people. All we have to do is tell the city that we really need a skate park."

"Yeah, but none of the adults in the government are skaters," said Ahmir.

"Plus," said Jessica, "where would the money come from?"

Sitting on his skateboard, Paul frowned and replied, "Well, the city pays for lots of other parks.

And Jessica, didn't you say your mom works for the city?"

"She is on the city council," Jessica replied. "If we could get her interested in a skateboard park, we might have something."

Unimpressed, Ahmir said, "None of that helps us right now, though."

"We should at least ride around and look for places where a skate park could go," said Jessica. She stood up and pushed off on her board.

The next day, the three of them took a ride with Mrs. Katz. "It's right up here, Mrs. Katz," Ahmir said as the minivan rolled to a stop beneath a bridge. The bridge's four lanes of traffic echoed among the pillars and smooth concrete below.

"Mom, this is the spot we thought would make a perfect skateboard park," Jessica said.

Uncertain, Mrs. Katz asked, "Why here? This spot seems a little out of the way."

"That's what makes it good," answered Paul. "Here, we are not in anyone's way because nobody uses this area for anything."

"And we couldn't be too noisy here because of the traffic," said Ahmir.

Jessica chimed in, "Plus, we could skate here year-round. The park would be under the bridge, so snow or rain would not matter much."

The group got out of the car to walk around the shaded concrete area.

"I admire your initiative in getting a park built," Mrs. Katz said. "This is how things get done. When people like you have a vision, you should get the government involved. First we will come up with a proposal, and then we will need to think about fundraising and what the park will look like."

Ahmir nudged Paul and whispered, "She said we! I always knew this was a good idea."

Jessica punched Ahmir playfully in the arm. "Listen, if this park gets built, you are going to be the last one allowed to ride in it."
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Use what you learned from the story "A Concrete Plan" to answer Numbers 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.

Test Tips

* Read the directions carefully.

* Read each question carefully.

* Look at the story to find the answer.

Mrs. Katz admired the three skateboarders because they --

A were good at their sport

B took steps to solve a problem

C studied hard

D figured out how to get money for the park

Why did the author write the story "A Concrete Plan"?

A to teach readers about parks

B to tell readers about problems with city life

C to encourage readers to participate in government

D to entertain readers with a story about three skateboarders

Why did Jessica say Ahmir would be the last one to ride in the park?

A There is only enough room for two people to use the park at a time.

B She does not like Ahmir and hopes he will not go to the park.

C Ahmir did not support Paul's idea for the park in the beginning.

D Ahmir does not have the proper safety equipment to ride in the park.

Which of these is not mentioned in the story as a reason for choosing the park location?

A It is out of the way.

B It is protected from the rain.

C It would be close to their school so they could to get to it easily.

D It would not be too noisy and would not bother other people.
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Unit 2: Ancient Civilizations

What can we learn from the people and practices of ancient civilizations? How do we recover ancient civilizations? Why do we know more about some ancient civilizations than others?

Theme Connection

Look at the photograph.

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* elegant

* interval

* elaborate

* philosopher

* imbedded

* bewildering

* catastrophic

* presumed

* curious

* inspired

Vocabulary Strategy

Kizzie stared at the large stone house. It was two stories tall. She could see how elegant it had been at one time. Her eyes traveled the length of the columns that lined all sides of the house. The interval between them was about four feet. They seemed to provide support for the building.

An elaborate set of pictures had been carved into the base of each column. Each column had different carvings of scenes in ancient Greece. One featured a man who may have been the philosopher Plato. He was speaking to a group of people in ancient Greek dress.

Fence posts had been firmly imbedded in the earth. A fence had once enclosed the house and a courtyard. Other fence posts here and there suggested that animals had grazed in surrounding pastures.

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A catastrophic flood had washed tons of soil and rock from this valley. In the process, it had uncovered the house. Most people presumed that the house had been buried in a landslide hundreds of years ago.

As a reporter, Kizzie was curious when she heard about this discovery. Upon visiting the site, she was inspired to write a news article. Kizzie dialed her editor on the cell phone. She described the house and how it had been uncovered. He agreed to publish her article.

Kizzie took out her notebook. Excited, she began writing quickly. This was going to be a great story!

Game

Define It Work with a partner. Write the vocabulary words on index cards. Place them facedown in a pile. Take turns drawing cards. The player who draws the card reads the word aloud. The other player defines it. Continue until all the vocabulary words have been reviewed.

The concept word for this lesson is legend. A legend is a story that has been passed on from earlier times. What legends have you heard or read?

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by Roy A. Gallant

Genre

Narrative Nonfiction blends elements of fiction with elements of nonfiction in order to tell a more compelling story.

Comprehension Strategy: Summarizing

Focus Questions

Did the Minotaur exist? Will Sir Arthur Evans find evidence to support this ancient legend?

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According to a Greek myth going back more than 2,500 years, there once was a young man named Theseus, son of the king of the great city of Athens, the capital of Greece. At this time there also lived on the nearby island of Crete a king named Minos. Minos was so powerful and so greatly feared that he was able to demand and get whatever he wished, not only from the people of his island-state but also from the people of nearby Athens on the Greek mainland.

Now it happened, according to the myth, that Minos kept on Crete a fierce monster called the Minotaur, a beast that was half bull and half man and ate human flesh. The word "minotaur" is built out of two words--King Minos's name and the Greek word tauros, meaning "bull." The Minotaur was supposedly kept in a labyrinth, a great maze or place of numerous winding corridors that was so complex that it was impossible to find the way out without help.

From time to time, Minos demanded that the king of Athens send him the seven handsomest young men and the seven most beautiful maidens of the land. These fourteen youths were then led into the labyrinth, where one by one they were found and devoured by the Minotaur.

When Theseus came of age he told his father that he wanted to be one of the youths sent to King Minos so that he might slay the Minotaur and once and for all end this terrible sacrifice the people of Athens were forced to make. Although he feared that his son would never return, Theseus's father granted the young man his wish.

On the appointed day the fourteen youths boarded the ship to Crete, a ship that always flew black sails, a sign of the certain death awaiting its passengers. When they arrived the youths were paraded before King Minos, for him to judge whether all were fair enough for the Minotaur. When the king's daughter, Ariadne, saw Theseus, she fell in love with him. She then managed to see him alone before the youths were led off to the labyrinth. Ariadne told Theseus of her love and gave him a small sword and a ball of thread.

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A mosaic depicting Theseus slaying the Minotaur

As Theseus led the way into the maze he carefully unwound the ball of thread. On hearing the ferocious roars of the Minotaur as it came charging around a corner of the labyrinth to attack him, Theseus dropped the ball of thread and began slashing at the beast with the sword given to him by Ariadne. He managed to weaken the Minotaur and finally cut off its head. He then picked up the thread and followed it out of the labyrinth, leading his thirteen companions to safety and home.

Before he had departed from Athens, Theseus had agreed to change the black sails to white if all had gone well and he had slain the Minotaur. He forgot to do so. When his father, waiting for the ship's return, saw the black sails, he presumed that his son had been killed. He was so stricken with grief that he killed himself before the ship docked. Theseus then became king.

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So Crete must have had a long history, one that stretched back even before Greek scholars wrote about the land. Crete itself did not have a written history until about 2,500 years ago. Even then the Minoans left very little in writing, unlike the neighboring civilizations of Egypt and Babylonia. The Cretans were called Minoans after King Minos. The legend of King Minos and his Minotaur had existed for centuries before the Minoans used writing. It had been handed down orally in story form from one generation to the next. But because it was only a legend, no one could be certain that there had actually ever been such a kingdom.

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Evans's interest in Crete began during a visit to Athens where he bought a few moonstones from a Greek merchant. The stones, worn by his wife as lucky charms, had strange writing scratched on them. It was the writing that led Evans to Crete in 1894, where he found more of the stones containing the same writing. He first went to the capital of the island, Knossos, where he noted that many of the women were wearing similar round stones of clay around their necks or wrists as lucky charms. Although some of the stones had simple designs carved on them, others had what appeared to be some form of writing. As he traveled around Crete, Evans saw many such stones. They turned out to be very old indeed, and some had been used as personal identity disks by the ancient Cretans. One such stone had the design of a labyrinth. Another had the shape of a creature half human and half bull.

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In his search for Crete's past, Evans came across several seals. The one at the left represents the legendary labyrinth. The seal below shows an athlete leaping over a bull's back.

While in Knossos, Evans became curious about several large blocks of carved stone lying about. He decided to dig a few test trenches near the stones to see if anything might lie buried below. Only a few inches beneath the surface one of his thirty workers struck something hard with a spade. Evans's excitement grew as they continued to dig around the hard object. After only a few hours of digging Evans was almost certain that he had stumbled onto the walls of a large and ancient building, possibly the palace of the mighty Minos. In all, he spent more than twenty-five years working in Crete reconstructing the Minoan remains at Knossos. The hard object just beneath the surface indeed turned out to be the palace of King Minos, built some 3,500 years earlier, even earlier than the time of the great rulers of ancient Egypt just across the sea to the south.

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Month after month, year after year, the work continued. The palace of Minos turned out to be enormous, sprawling over an area larger than ten city blocks. It was shaped like a large rectangle, in the center of which was a huge courtyard of red cement. Some sections of the building were five stories high. There were twisting corridors and stairways. There were dead-end passageways and a bewildering number of rooms. Indeed, it was a labyrinth. Evans had no doubt that here was the building described in legend as both the home of Minos and of the dreaded Minotaur.

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A ground plan reconstruction of the late Minoan palace at Knossos reveals a labyrinth of passageways and hundreds of rooms.

As the digging continued, Evans realized that the enormous palace had not all been built at the same time. Hallways, rooms, and storage areas were added on century after century. Minos seems to have been the name of the first Cretan king who constructed the original palace. In his honor, each of the future kings of Crete took the name of Minos and added to the palace to suit his own taste. Evans discovered large storerooms with great jars for wine and olive oil. Some of the jars stood as tall as a man and can be seen in place today. There were also containers lined with stone and with fragments of gold leaf. These were probably from the rooms where the Minoan kings kept their stores of gold, silver, and other precious metals. Nearby were apartments for the royal guards who kept watch over the king's wealth.

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As the weeks and months passed, many more discoveries were made--the paved courtyard mentioned earlier, stairways with frescoes of olive branches in flower, a wall painting of a monkey gathering flowers in baskets, and a large fresco of a bull with young acrobats. Paintings and impressions of bulls on vases and other objects were so common that it caused Evans to remark: "What a part these creatures play here!"

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A bull's horn sculpture at the Palace of Knossos highlights the prominent role of the bull in Minoan culture.

Like the people of Spain today, the ancient Minoans seem to have loved a sport involving acrobats and bulls. One large fresco shows a bull in full charge and three young acrobats, two girls and a boy. If we read these frescoes correctly, some sport like this may have taken place: Three youths entered a sports arena containing a bull. As the bull charged, one of the youths would grab the animal's horns, leap over the bull's head, and do a handspring off the bull's back, landing upright on his feet and in the arms of one of the other two youths. This sounds like an impossible trick, but so many Cretan artifacts suggest that some such event took place that it is hard to doubt. Is it possible that this type of event inspired the myth of the fourteen Athenian youths, King Minos, and the deadly Minotaur?

There are frescoes that also show audiences watching the contests in the bull ring. Although in Spain the object of the cruel contest is to kill the bull by plunging a sword into it, in ancient Crete the purpose seemed to be to demonstrate the athletic skills of the acrobats. But surely, from time to time, some of the youths must have been killed during the contests.

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The throne of King Minos at Knossos

With a navy second to none, the Minoan kings ruled the seas. They were wealthy, as suggested by an elaborate game table Evans found, set with crystal, ivory, and gold and silver pieces. And they were enlightened, as evidenced by the modern system of plumbing unearthed at Knossos. Enormous clay pipes, some large enough for a person to stand up in, carried water and sewage away from the palace. There also was a system of pipes for hot and cold water flowing through the palace. After four thousand years, the drainage system at Knossos is still in working order. Nothing equal to it was built in all of Europe until the mid-1800s. Since Evans's time at least three other palaces have been found in other parts of the island, some with as many as 1,500 rooms.

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Who were the Minoans, and what happened to bring their splendid civilization down? What they left behind shows them as a people of uncommon grace and elegance who reached an astonishingly high level of craftsmanship. Their vases and bowls of stone and their finely carved gems were unmatched anywhere. And they were apparently a peace-loving people; they had no defense fortifications and none of their art shows scenes of battle, warriors, or weapons, although finely made real weapons of bronze have been found.

About the year 1450 b.c. Knossos and other Minoan centers burned. By about 1400 b.c. these cities were completely destroyed. While some scholars have supposed that invaders swept over the island and conquered it, others doubt that this is what happened. They suspect that the catastrophic explosion of the volcanic island of Thera (also called Santorin), 60 miles north of Crete, sent the Minoans and their splendid civilization into oblivion.

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