Selection: HiD-6

HiD-6

Grade level: 4

Word count: 1477 words

Author: Dustin Rowland

Synopsis: Why would an ancient culture carve huge drawings into the face of the land? And what do they mean?

Excerpt: The Nazca lines are not just simple straight lines. They include many different shapes and patterns. There are hundreds of triangles, spirals, and other figures that cross the valley floor. Even more interesting are the dozens of animal and plant drawings that lay beside them. These land pictures include a monkey, a whale, a spider, a lizard, several birds, and many other living things that they considered to be important at the time. In total, about 900 different designs have been discovered.

Some of the designs are incredible simply for their size. Some of them are massive! They cover an area of more than 200 square miles. One of the largest drawings stretches more than 660 feet across the desert sand. That is the length of two football fields. And some of the straight lines are even longer. One goes on for nine miles!

Question: Reread these two excerpts. The Nazca lines are amazing examples of human skill and effort for which two main reasons?

1. their interesting shapes and patterns
2. their huge sizes
3. their bright colors
4. their thoughtful words and sayings
5. their unusual sounds

Selection: D-5

D-5

Grade level: 4

Word count: 1577 words

Author: Mary Dunn

Synopsis: Things are not going right for Peter--not at all. But it's nothing a few jelly beans can't fix.

Excerpt: "Hi, Red," she says, reaching down to pet him. Then she holds out a hand to me and says, "You must be Peter. Your uncle told me that his famous nephew who hits home runs was coming today."

"He did?" I ask, with a grin. "Well, umm, Uncle Jesse wants to know if you have an onion--or some peanut butter."

"I have an onion, but no peanut butter," she says, heading to her kitchen. She returns with a whole bag of onions and drops them in my arms. I thank her, and Red and I head back to Uncle Jesse's place.

Question: What is the most important thing Peter learns from Mrs. James?

1. He learns that his uncle has been talking about him.
2. He learns that she has no peanut butter.
3. He learns that she loves dogs, especially Red.
4. He learns that neighbors often give you more than you ask for.