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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- Pops Bridge by Eve Bunting illustrated by C. F. Payne
- I cant breathe. I cant think.
- We had seen him working close to that scaffolding. I cant see him now.
- "Be there, Mr. Shu," I plead, and then I spot him. "Over by that cross girder!" I yell. Charlie fumbles for the binoculars. I help him. He looks where I point.
- I think and think about that day. At night, half asleep, I see the bridge shake. I hear the crash. One of those men in the water could have been Pop. Or Charlies dad.
- The work goes on. A new safety net is put in place. Pop says theres less talking and joking now among the men. Theres a remembering.
- America on the Move: Theme Connections
- Social Studies Inquiry: The New World
- Unit 5: Test Prep Test-Taking Strategy: Referring to a Story to Answer Questions
- Test-Taking Practice Read the article "A Growing State." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4.
- Use the information you learned from the article "A Growing State" to answer questions 1 through 4. Write your answers on a piece of paper.
- Unit 6: Dollars and Sense
- How do people make money choices
- Erandis Braids
Historical Fiction is a realistic story that takes place in a specific time in the past. It may be based on historical events and actual persons. Comprehension Strategy: Summarizing As you read, stop at the end of a larger section of text to summarize the information you have read.
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Pop's Bridge by Eve Bunting illustrated by C. F. Payne How did people get around before bridges and highways? What are the most important things Americans have built? Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 542 and page 543 in the print version. 544
Almost every day after school, Charlie Shu and I go to Fort Point and watch. The bridge will stretch across the bay, from San Francisco to Marin. People said this bridge couldn't be built. Some call it the impossible bridge. They say the bay is too deep, the currents too strong, the winds blowing in from the ocean too fierce. But I know my pop can do it. Whenever I say he's building the bridge, Mom laughs. "There's a crew of more than a thousand men working on that bridge, Robert. Including Charlie's dad," she reminds me. I know that, but I just shrug. 545 To me, it's Pop's bridge. Pop's a high-iron man, balancing on the slatted catwalks, spinning and bending the cables. He climbs so high that sometimes clouds come down around his shoulders. When the fog rolls in, he disappears completely. That's why the high-iron men are called skywalkers. Charlie's dad is a painter. The painters start work long before the bridge is even finished. My pop says if it weren't for them, the bridge would rust away, but I think he's just saying that to be nice. The skywalkers have the most important job of all. At Fort Point I look for Pop through the binoculars Mom lends me. The workers look alike in their overalls and swabbie hats, but I can always find my pop because of the red kerchief he ties at his throat. It's our own scarlet signal. I don't worry much about him on days when the sun sparkles on the water, when sailboats skim below. It's so beautiful I can forget that it's dangerous, too. But when the wind blows through the Golden Gate, the men cling to the girders like caterpillars on a branch. On foggy days my hands sweat on the binoculars. Where is he? When I find him, I try not to look away, as though the force of my eyes can keep him from falling. 546 At my house Charlie and I work on a jigsaw puzzle Mom bought us. When it's done it will show how an artist thinks the bridge will look. Charlie and I work on the puzzle most every day. Bending over it I feel like I'm building the real thing, along with Pop. I'm a skywalker, too. "We're almost done," Charlie says. "I wonder which of us will put in the last piece?" I shrug. But what he says makes me think. My pop built that bridge. He should set the last puzzle piece in place. That's only fair, even though Charlie might think his dad should do it. When Charlie isn't looking, I slip one of the pieces into my pocket. Later I hide it in my room. I'm saving it for Pop. 547
The "impossible bridge" is nearly finished. One evening Mom and Pop and I walk down to Fort Point. The bridge hangs between stars and sea. "It's like a giant harp," my pop says. "A harp for the angels to play." I look up at him, and I can tell this wasn't just a job to my pop. He loves the bridge. In San Francisco there is great excitement. Everyone is waiting for opening day. Charlie and I have watched nearly every bit of the bridge go up. We saw the two spans come together from opposite directions. We saw them meet. We saw the roadway go in. And my pop did it. No one can be as proud as I am. Not even Charlie. After all, my dad is a skywalker. And then one day, something terrible happens. Charlie and I are watching as the scaffolding pulls away from the bridge. There's a noise like a train wreck as the scaffolding crashes down into the safety net. The net tears loose, and men go with it into the swirling tide.
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We had seen him working close to that scaffolding. I can't see him now. "We'll find him," I promise. "We have to." I sweep the binoculars up and down the bridge cables, looking at every painter hanging high on his Jacob's ladder or swinging in a bosun's chair, like a knot on a rope. "Be there, Mr. Shu," I plead, and then I spot him. "Over by that cross girder!" I yell. Charlie fumbles for the binoculars. I help him. He looks where I point. "He's there! He's safe!" Charlie gasps. The next day we find out that only two of the twelve men in the water were saved. I think and think about that day. At night, half asleep, I see the bridge shake. I hear the crash. One of those men in the water could have been Pop. Or Charlie's dad. I finally understand, and I feel ashamed. Equal work, equal danger, for skywalkers and for painters. The work goes on. A new safety net is put in place. Pop says there's less talking and joking now among the men. There's a remembering. But the bridge must be finished. And at last it is. We watch through Mom's binoculars as the golden spike is drilled in at the center of the main span. Now the celebration can begin. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 548 and page 549 in the print version. 550
That night our family has our own party with Charlie and his dad. There's stewed chicken and a Chinese noodle dish Charlie's dad made and a snickerdoodle pie. The jigsaw puzzle sits on the coffee table with a gap in the middle. "I've searched and searched for that missing piece," my mother says. 551 "A good thing we didn't leave our bridge with a space like that," Mr. Shu says. Pop chuckles. "We'd be working still." It's time. I slip upstairs to get the hidden puzzle piece, then find the scissors and cut the piece carefully in half. I go back down and put a half piece in Mr. Shu's hand and the other in my pop's. "Finish it," I say. "It's your bridge. It belongs to both of you." My mother raises her eyebrows and Charlie says, "Hey, where. . .?" But I just watch as the two pieces fit in, so perfectly, so smoothly. "Team effort," my pop says. We raise our glasses of sarsaparilla to celebrate the laborers and riveters, the carpenters and the painters and the skywalkers. All the men who worked together to build the most beautiful bridge in the world. 552 Meet the Author Eve Bunting Bunting immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1959. On her first day in America, she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and gazed back across the bay at the shining city of San Francisco. Now, whenever she sees the bridge, she remembers that first glimpse of her new country and her new life. Today, Bunting lives in Southern California. She has written many books for young readers, including Smoky Night , which won the Caldecott Medal.
F. Payne
Payne has been illustrating for more than twenty-five years. He has received much praise for his artwork. His illustrations have been featured in Time , Rolling Stone , Reader's Digest , and Sports Illustrated . He has also created five stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. Payne has illustrated many books for children, including Brave Harriet and True Heart , both written by Marissa Moss. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 552 and page 553 in the print version. 553
America on the Move: Theme Connections Within the Selection 1. Why do some people call the Golden Gate Bridge the "impossible bridge"? 2. Why does Robert hide one of the puzzle pieces? Across Selections 3. What final piece completes the Golden Gate Bridge, and what other selection has a similar piece? 4. What do the workers in "John Henry Races the Steam Drill" have in common with the workers on the Golden Gate Bridge? Beyond the Selection 5. What other big projects in history can you think of where people with many different jobs worked together? 6. Why is everyone's job important? Write about It! Describe an important job you do. Remember to look at other people's questions and try to answer them on the Concept/Question Board. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 552 and page 553 in the print version. 554
Social Studies Inquiry: The New World Genre
Expository Text tells people something. It contains facts about real people, things, or events. Feature
Headings tell people what sections of text are going to be about. Early European explorers sailed east looking for Asia. Instead, they found America and called it the "New World." This land was not new to the people who already lived here. But some people from the "Old World" of Europe were not ashamed to take over this land. Gold and Furs Many explorers wanted to be rich. They heard that there was gold in the New World. For instance, the Aztecs in Mexico had a lot of gold. Spain fought the Aztecs and took their gold. Fur coats and beaver hats were also worth a lot of money in Europe. Native Americans were good at hunting and trapping animals for fur. They traded furs for coats, knives, and other goods.
Many explorers wanted to spread their religion by conquering new lands for their churches. They built missions to teach their religion to Native Americans. Some people were kind to the Native Americans, but others were cruel. Land can make people rich and powerful. Many wars were fought over land in the New World. 555
Think Link Choose two paragraphs from the article. Write a sentence of your own to add to each paragraph. Make sure your sentences fit under the paragraph headings. What valuable item (besides gold) did the explorers find in the New World, and why was it so valuable? What other reasons might have caused European explorers to come to the New World? Try It!
As you work on your investigation, think about how you can use headings to organize your ideas. 556 Low Bridge by Thomas S. Allen illustrated by Brian Deines Focus Questions Why would someone write a song about a canal? Why is the Erie Canal no longer used for transporting goods? I've got an old mule and her name is Sal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. She's a good old worker and a good old pal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. We've hauled some barges in our day Filled with lumber, coal, and hay, And every inch of the way we know From Albany to Buffalo. Low bridge, everybody down. Low bridge for we're coming to a town. And you'll always know your neighbor, And you'll always know your pal, If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal. Production note: this image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 556 and page 557 in the print version. 557
We'd better get along on our way, old gal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. 'Cause you bet your life I'd never part with Sal, Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal. Git up there mule, here comes a lock, We'll make Rome 'bout six o'clock, One more trip and back we'll go, Right back home to Buffalo. Low bridge, everybody down. Low bridge for we're coming to a town. And you'll always know your neighbor, And you'll always know your pal, If you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal.
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Migrants by Karen Hesse illustrated by Alan Reingold Focus Questions Who was affected by the Dust Bowl? What do migrants have in common with immigrants? We'll be back when the rain comes, they say, pulling away with all they own, straining the springs of their motor cars. Don't forget us. 559 And so they go, fleeing the blowing dust, fleeing the fields of brown-tipped wheat barely ankle high, and sparse as the hair on a dog's belly. We'll be back, they say, pulling away toward Texas, Arkansas, where they can rent a farm, pull in enough cash, maybe start again. We'll be back when it rains, they say, setting out with their bedsprings and mattresses, their cookstoves and dishes, their kitchen tables, and their milk goats tied to their running boards in rickety cages, setting out for California, where even though they say they'll come back, they just might stay if what they hear about that place is true. Don't forget us, they say. But there are so many leaving, how can I remember them all? April 1935 560
Unit 5: Test Prep Test-Taking Strategy: Referring to a Story to Answer Questions To answer some questions on a test, you might need to read a story. You should use the information in the story to answer the questions. Referring to a Story to Answer Questions Sometimes you will read a story on a test and answer questions about the story. You should use the information in the story to answer the questions. Do not memorize the story--read it once and try to understand what you read. You should reread the story to answer the questions. Read this story. Use the story to decide which answer is correct.
All of these reasons make it difficult to climb to the top of a mountain except -- A The climb is steep. B There are many steps. C It gets colder as you climb higher. D The air is thinner. To answer the question, you should look at the story again. Compare each answer to the story. Which answer is NOT mentioned in the story? The story mentions all of answers except answer B . The story says nothing about steps. 561
Test-Taking Practice Read the article "A Growing State." Then answer Numbers 1 through 4. Before the Civil War, the United States grew quickly. This growth was faster in Florida before and after the war. A number of reasons caused this growth. One reason was inexpensive land. In 1855, Florida passed an unusual law. This law let people buy land cheaply. Some land was given away for free if people opened businesses or built transportation systems. For many people, it was a dream come true. Swamps were drained and turned into orange groves. Railroads were built to carry goods. Things were looking bright in Florida. Then the Civil War took place. It was a hard time for the United States. The situation was even worse in the South. Florida was lucky during the Civil War. Big battles in the war were not fought there, so not much was damaged. Florida was able to recover more quickly than other states.
Being by the ocean also helped the state grow. Two cities, Jacksonville and Pensacola, became important shipping ports. A lot of wood was shipped from these ports because people needed wood for rebuilding after the war. Before the war, Florida was becoming a strong cotton-producing state. After the war, some land owners hired former slaves and gave them paying jobs. Tenant farmers worked most of the land. They did not own the land. Instead, the farmers helped each other raise crops. When the crops were sold, they shared the profit. Soon, Florida became known for its citrus fruit such as grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes. Farmers grew other crops too. They raised many cattle for beef. People made many different goods after the war using Florida's natural resources. One unusual business was sponge harvesting. People would collect sponges from the ocean. They would dry them and sell them. Phosphate mining also became important. This mineral could be used to make fertilizer for farmers. All of these changes caused Florida to become an economic force in the South.
Test Tips * Mark your answers carefully. * Eliminate answer choices that cannot be right. * Skip difficult questions. Come back to them later.
The unusual law mentioned in this article-- A made phosphate mining important. B let people buy low-priced land. C forced farmers to pay workers. D brought more tourists to Florida. How was Florida's climate an advantage for growth? A It brought tourists and allowed fruit to grow all year. B It allowed people to buy inexpensive land. C It helped phosphate mining expand across the state. D It prevented the Union army from fighting in Florida during the war. Which businesses were most important in Florida after the Civil War? A Coal mining, sharecropping, and transportation B Growing cotton, metalworking, and shipping C Manufacturing, gold mining, and lumber production D Growing fruit, raising cattle, and tourism Why did Florida recover from the war more quickly than other Southern states? A People sold different goods after the war. B Farmers raised cattle for beef. C Big battles were not fought in Florida. D People needed lots of wood after the war.
Money does not grow on trees. Imagine if it did. Anyone without money could simply harvest more. People would have all the money they wanted--and money would be worthless. Because money is limited, people value it. We work for it, and we save it. We try to make smart choices with our money. In time, planning carefully and using good sense, you can make your money grow. But it does not grow on trees. Theme Connection Look at the illustration. What is odd about the scene? How do people really deal with money?
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Big Idea
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Vocabulary: Warm-Up Read the article to find the meanings of these words, which are also in "Erandi's Braids": * dawn * huddled * dared * embarrassment * wove * pounded * tremble * pride
Vocabulary Strategy Context Clues are hints in the text that help you find the meanings of words. Look at the words huddled and wove. Use context clues to find each word's meaning. Bella sat straight up in bed. A strange feeling washed over her. She looked toward her window. The sun was just beginning to rise. She hardly ever woke up before dawn. She thought about getting out of bed. Then she remembered why she was feeling so strange. She had a piano recital later that morning! She huddled under her covers, shivering. She was not cold. She was just very nervous. Why had she dared to choose such a difficult song? What if she messed up in front of all those people? She did not think she could take the embarrassment. You can do this, she told herself firmly. You have been through a dozen piano recitals. You always do fine. 567 She forced herself to get out of bed. Then she tiptoed downstairs. She fixed herself a bowl of cereal. Her parents were still in bed. So was her little brother. After breakfast, she brushed her teeth and got dressed. Then she wove her hair into a thick braid. The next two hours were the longest of Bella's life. Finally, it was time to leave for the recital. When she arrived at the community center, she realized she was not the only one who looked nervous. Still, her heart pounded . Her hands began to tremble .
It was Bella's turn to perform. She glanced at the crowd before settling in at the piano. The smiling faces of her parents and brother helped calm her down. She played her piece almost perfectly. The one mistake she made was barely noticeable. As she bowed to the crowd, her nervousness was gone. She felt only pride . Game
Word Search On a sheet of paper, write the definitions of the eight selection vocabulary words. Do not write the words. On a separate sheet of paper, create a word-search puzzle for a classmate using all the vocabulary words. Write the eight words at the bottom of the puzzle. Have your classmate circle each word in the puzzle and then write the word by its correct definition on the other sheet of paper. Concept Vocabulary This lesson's concept word is sacrifice. A sacrifice is the choice to give up one thing you will miss in order to get something else you want. What things have you sacrificed so that you could have or do something else? Can you think of a time you made a sacrifice for someone you loved? 568
by Antonio Hernández Madrigal illustrated by Tomie dePaola Genre
Comprehension Strategy Predicting As you read, make predictions about what you think will happen later in the text. Then check to see whether your predictions are confirmed. This image crosses the gutter to appear both on page 568 and page 569 in the print version. 569
Focus Questions How do we know what something is worth? What do you do when you have to choose between two things you want badly? 570 "Erandi, it's time to wake up," Mamá whispered. Roosters were crowing as the orange and crimson colors of dawn spread across the village of Pátzcuaro, in the hills of México. Erandi got out of bed, washed her face, and put on her huipil and skirt. Then Mamá brushed her hair and wove it into two thick braids that fell to her waist. When Mamá finished, Erandi helped her prepare the dough for the tortillas . As she mixed and patted, Erandi heard voices from a loudspeaker in the street. "Hair! Hair! We will pay the best prices for your hair. Come to Miguel's Barber Shop tomorrow." 571 "What is that about, Mamá?" Erandi asked. "It is the hair buyers coming up from the city," Mamá told her. "Why do they want to buy our hair?" Erandi asked. "They say it is the longest and most beautiful in México," Mamá explained. "They use it to make fine wigs, eyelashes, and fancy embroidery." Mamá looked in the old cracked mirror on the adobe wall. Her own hair fell just below her shoulders. "Your hair is much longer and thicker than mine, Erandi. The hair buyers would pay a fortune for your beautiful braids," she said with pride.
They sat down to eat their meal of beans and tortillas . "Do you remember what day tomorrow is, Erandi?" " Sí, Mamá," Erandi said. "My birthday!" She would be seven, and Mamá was going to take her to Señora Andrea's shop to pick out a present. Erandi hoped she would get a new dress to wear to the village fiesta. They finished eating and got ready to go to the lake. Mamá packed their fishing net and put it on her back. "Don't forget the buckets, Erandi," she said, starting off down the trail. When they arrived at the lake, women and men from the village were already fishing. Erandi's mamá unfolded their net. "Look, Erandi, more holes. I won't be able to repair it any more. We need a new net so badly." Then she paused. "Soon we will have the money to buy one."
Erandi was surprised. They had so little money. Before she could ask Mamá where she would get the money, her friend Isabel ran up. " Buenos días , Erandi. Can you come and play?" Isabel called. "Go," Mamá said, "but come back and help me sort the fish." Isabel and Erandi ran across the fields of flowers. "Are you going to the fiesta next Sunday?" Isabel asked. The fiesta! Erandi remembered her birthday and the new dress she hoped to wear in the procession. But maybe Mamá needed the money for the new net instead. "I'm not sure," she said. Throughout the day Erandi went back and forth, playing with Isabel and helping her mamá separate the small fish from the large fish. Then it was time to go. Erandi was afraid to ask about her birthday, and Mamá didn't say anything about it or the new net as they walked home.
But the next morning after making the tortillas , Mamá said, "It's time to go to Señora Andrea's shop, Erandi." Erandi smiled. She knew she would have a new dress for the fiesta after all. As they entered the shop in the square, Erandi saw a beautiful doll wearing a finely embroidered yellow dress up on the shelf. Mamá saw Erandi stare at the doll. "Erandi," Mamá said, "what do you want for your birthday?" Erandi wanted the doll, but she knew she couldn't have both the doll and a dress. She pointed to a yellow dress, the same color as the doll's. "Maybe next year we can buy you a doll," Mamá said as she paid for the dress. After they left the shop, Mamá turned to Erandi and said, "Now we will go to the barber shop." 575 Erandi caught her breath. My hair! So that is how Mamá is going to get the money for a new net. She is going to sell my braids. Erandi shivered at the thought of the barber cutting off her braids. But she didn't say anything to Mamá. They reached Miguel's Barber Shop and went inside. Erandi looked across the room crowded with women. She gripped Mamá's hand and huddled in her skirt. She didn't look at the barber chair, but she couldn't help hearing the sharp snip snip of scissors. Will my hair ever grow back? she worried. The line of women moved slowly, and Erandi's heart pounded as she and Mamá reached the front. "Next person!" the barber called out. Gazing at the enormous scissors in his hand, Erandi felt her knees tremble. But before she could move, Mamá walked to the chair and sat down. 576 I should have known Mamá would never sell my hair, Erandi thought as she watched the barber wrap a white apron around her mamá's shoulders and measure her hair. "Your hair is not long enough," she heard the barber say. Her mamá's face reddened with embarrassment. Without a word, she got out of the chair and took Erandi's hand. As they turned to leave, the barber noticed Erandi's braids. "Wait," he called out. "We will buy your daughter's hair." Mamá whirled around. "My daughter's hair is not for sale," she said proudly. Then she felt the pull of Erandi's hand and looked down. " Sí, Mamá, we will sell my braids," Erandi whispered. "No, mi hija, " Mamá said. "You don't have to sell your hair." But Erandi let go of her hand and walked toward the chair. The women stared as she climbed up onto the seat.
The barber measured her braids and picked up his scissors. Erandi closed her eyes. Her hands turned cold when she felt the metal scissors rub against her face and neck and she heard the sharp snip snip. The barber moved to the second braid and Erandi's eyes filled with tears. But she dared not cry. Instead she asked the barber, "Señor, will my hair grow back?" "Of course! It will grow just as long and pretty as before," he told her. Erandi kept her eyes shut until the barber had finished. Then she opened them slowly and looked in the mirror. Her hair reached just below the bottom of her ears.
Out in the street, the air was cold on the back of her neck. How strange it felt without her hair. Mamá walked beside her, not saying a word. Only the hollow clapping of their huaraches broke the silence of the cobblestone streets. Why didn't Mamá speak? Was she angry with her for cutting her hair? Or maybe the haircutter had not paid enough for her braids? Finally Erandi peeked at her mamá's face and saw she was crying. "Forgive me, Erandi, I shouldn't have let you sell your hair," Mamá sobbed, wiping her face with an old handkerchief. Now Erandi understood that her mamá was not angry with her. She had only been thinking of Erandi's hair. "Don't worry, Mamá. My braids will grow back as long and pretty as before." "Your hair was the longest and most beautiful of all," her mamá said. 579 Erandi paused for a moment, then asked shyly, "Mamá, did they pay you enough to buy a new net?" " ¡Sí, mi hija! They paid us more than I expected. We can buy a new net and the doll you wanted." She gave Erandi a big smile, and Erandi had never felt happier. Then Mamá took Erandi's hand in hers, and as the last rays of sun lit up the rooftops, they turned and went back to the square to buy Erandi's doll. 580 Directory: books -> 0-00-NIMAC books -> Active Vocabulary books -> Books we finished XIV books -> The theology of the balaam oracles: a pagan diviner and the word of god books -> The rhetoric of the father 0-00-NIMAC -> Sra: Imagine It!, Themes, Taking a Stand, Ancient Civilizations Ecology, Great Expectations, Earth in Action, Art and Impact, Level 6 books -> You Can If You Try Unit 7 Nonfiction books -> How to Get the Most Out of books -> The tregenza family Download 1.43 Mb. Share with your friends:
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