Golden retrievers, the best choice of

Fact and Opinion Statements of fact can be proved true or false. Facts can be proved by a reliable reference source, by observation, or by asking an expert. Statements of opinion are judgments or beliefs. They cannot be proved true or false, but they can be supported by facts and logic. Directions Read the following passage. Then complete the diagram by identifying statements of fact and statements of opinion. Golden retrievers, the best choice of pet, are less popular than Labrador retrievers. People love goldens because with proper training they are patient and gentle with children. Golden retrievers seem to want to do nothing but please their owners. They also make good watchdogs because they bark when a stranger approaches. Golden retrievers make excellent pets when they are well cared for. Daily exercise and proper training help the dog manage its behavior. Occasional grooming keeps the dog s coat free of tangles and looking great. Statement: Golden retrievers, the best choice of pet, are less popular than Labrador retrievers. 1. Which part of the statement is opinion? 2. Which part of the statement is fact? 3. How to support? 4. How to prove? Home Activity Your child read a short article and identified statements of fact and statements of opinion. One way to check facts is to look on Web sites. Talk with your child about how to tell whether the information on a Web site can be trusted. 84 Comprehension Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1

Writing for Tests Prompt: Write a journal entry about a time when things did not turn out as you had hoped or planned. March 19, 20 This morning as I read the local paper, a story on the front page caught my attention. The headline read, Local Farm Appeals for Help. Since I love animals of all kinds, I was immediately drawn to the story. It seems that this week s heavy rains flooded a nearby farm. The family that owns the farm was reaching out to find temporary homes for some of its animals. We already have two dogs, three cats, a parakeet, and a guinea pig, so I wasn t sure that Mom and Dad would be willing to take in a short-term farm animal. But, we do have a big yard. We could easily keep a horse out back, and maybe even a chicken or two. After breakfast, I asked Mom whether she had read the article. She hadn t read the paper, yet, but she promised she would get to it later. I asked her, polite as can be, to please read the article now because it was very important to me. Mom knows how much I adore animals, so she read the article right then and there. When she finished, she looked up at me, and I gave her my sad puppy-dog eyes, hoping she would know exactly what I was thinking. Well she said. We don t have room for another animal. If you want to help, you could always volunteer at the farm. It says in the paper that they need people to help clean up damage caused by the flood. I definitely would have preferred a horse, but I suppose it s good to help in any way I can. And who knows? Maybe when the farm is up and running again, I will be able to visit the animals I helped! 1. What experience does the writer describe in this journal entry? 2. Underline the sentence that tells you how the writer feels about animals. 3. Circle three different pronouns that show that the entry is written in the first person. Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1 Writing 85

Vocabulary Directions Choose the word from the box that best matches each definition. Write the word on the line. 1. in a quiet way 2. push gently 3. a small bit of food 4. held steady 5. a time of watching Directions Choose the word from the box that best matches each clue. Write the letters of each word on the line. Take the circled letters to make a word below. Check the Words You Know fixed furious morsel nudge quietly ruff stooped vigil 6. marked by excitement and activity 7. hunched over 8. without noise 9. a fringe of fur growing around the neck 10. held steady a Write a Description Using a separate sheet of paper, describe what a hungry dog might do or look like. Use as many vocabulary words as you can. Home Activity Your child identified and used vocabulary words from : The True Story of a Loyal Dog. Read an article about dogs with your child. Have him or her point out unfamiliar words. Try to figure out the meaning of each word by using words that appear near it. 86 Vocabulary Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1

Common and Proper Nouns A common noun names any person, place, or thing. The shiny coins jingled in his pocket. A proper noun names a particular person, place, or thing. When a proper noun is more than one word, capitalize only the important word or words. Her cousin lives in South America. Aunt Jean visited the Statue of Liberty. Some proper nouns, including titles for people, have short forms called abbreviations that begin with capital letters and end with periods. Gen. Jones visited the middle school. I met Edward Wu, Jr. Directions Underline the proper nouns and circle the common nouns. 1. Dr. Tee Van chuckled at the bird. 2. My uncle put his money in the National State Bank. 3. Aunt Louise worked in her garden. 4. Mrs. George just became an aunt. 5. Our neighbors moved from Maine to Oregon. 6. Dad and Rev. Johnson had lunch on Saturday. 7. She bought presents for Aunt Sue. 8. May I have more broccoli, Mom? Directions Rewrite the proper nouns, using correct capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations where possible. 9. doctor martin luther king, junior 10. general forrester 11. doctor bart 12. reverend smith Home Activity Your child learned about common nouns and proper nouns. Have your child tell you the difference between common nouns and proper nouns and find examples of each in a magazine. Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1 Conventions Common and Proper Nouns 87

Plural or Possessive Spelling Words country s countries countries its ours theirs hers library s libraries libraries niece s nieces nieces crow s crows witness s witnesses witnesses secretary s secretaries Complete the Sentences Write the list word that completes each sentence. 1. All the desks are covered with file folders. 2. My young birthday is next month. 3. All the to the crime agreed on what they d seen. 4. My two bedroom has a window overlooking the park. 5. There were in the trees outside my window. 6. I found a black feather in the woods. 7. It is a duty to tell the truth. 8. I have three nephews and two. 9. The job is to help the president with her appointments. 10. All of the accounts of the crime were the same. 11. There are two in my town. 12. Many sign treaties with one another. 13. My local book sale was full of bargains. 14. A prosperity depends on its economic strength. 15. Our state computer systems are all linked together. 16. Many flags have stripes. 17. My sister has a doll that is. 18. My dog has a ball that is. 19. My neighbors have a house that is. 20. My family has a house that is. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Home Activity Your child wrote plural and possessive words. Ask your child how to form a possessive pronoun. (Add an s; do not add an apostrophe.) 88 Spelling Plural or Possessive Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1

Scoring Rubric: Journal Entry Focus/Ideas Organization Voice Word Choice Sentences Conventions Clear, focused composition with effective supporting details 4 3 2 1 Organized logically; ideas are coherent and focused Engaging; clearly expresses writer s thoughts Vivid, precise word choice Varied sentences Excellent control and accuracy; common and proper nouns used correctly Mostly clear and focused composition; some supporting details Organized logically, few gaps; ideas fairly focused and coherent Evident voice; shares some thoughts and feelings Accurate word choice Not as much variety Good control, few errors; common and proper nouns generally correct Composition somewhat unfocused; insufficient supporting details Organization attempted, but not clear; some ideas unrelated to subject Weak voice; does not share many thoughts and feelings Limited or repetitive word choice Too many similar sentences Weak control; errors with common and proper nouns Composition with no clarity or development Poor organization; ideas lack focus Lacking clear voice Very limited word choice Many fragments and run-ons Serious errors that obscure meaning Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1 Writing 89

Vocabulary Suffixes -ly, -ous A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or the way it is used in a sentence. The suffix -ly means in a manner that is or in a way that is. The suffix -ous means full of. Directions Read the following passage. Then answer the questions below. Lin frequently watched the ducks gather in the pond on her grandfather s farm. Winter was coming on quickly, and she knew it was soon time for their migration south. Usually her dog Ace and the ducks tolerated each other pretty well. For some reason, one of the ducks had become aggressive with Ace. When Ace approached the flock, it would rush at Ace with its wings flapping wildly. Ace tried to be courageous, but the duck made him too nervous. Instead, Ace retreated and just watched the ducks in frustration. This continued for a week. It appeared that this duck could detect when Ace approached, and it would rush and flap and quack riotously. This game between Ace and the duck continued until the ducks finally began their migration south. 1. How does the suffix -ly change the meaning of the base word quick in the word quickly? 2. How does the suffix -ous change the meaning of the base word courage in the word courageous? 3. How does the suffix -ous change the meaning of the base word nerve in the word nervous? 4. The word riotously contains two suffixes. How is the base word riot changed by adding the two suffixes? 5. Think of another word that ends with either -ly or -ous. Use it in an original sentence that makes its meaning clear. Home Activity Your child read a short passage and identified suffixes at the ends of words. Read a story with your child and identify the suffixes -ly and -ous at the ends of words in the story. Ask your child how the suffix changed the meaning of the word. 90 Vocabulary Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1

Card Catalog / Library Database A card catalog and library database provide information you need to find a book in the library. The card catalog has drawers with cards in them. A library database is the online version of a card catalog. Instead of cards, the database has files called records. The cards or records provide information about a book, including its author, title, subject, and its call number. You can search a catalog, online or in cards, by author, title, or subject. Directions Read the starting search screen for a library database shown below. Then answer the questions that follow. Glenside Library Home Library Hours Story Hour Database Glenside Free Library Database Title (exact search) Title (keywords) Author (last name, first name) Author (keywords) Subject (exact search) Subject (keywords) Check a box above and type keywords in the box below. 1. Which box would you check to find a book about dogs? Which keyword would you type? 2. Which box would you check to find the novel titled My Life in Dog Years? Which keywords would you type? 3. Which box would you check to find a book by Pamela S. Turner? Which keywords would you type? 4. Which box would you check to find a book with dogs in its title? Which keyword would you type? 5. Which box would you check to find a book about the caring for puppies? Which keywords would you type? Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1 Research and Study Skills 91

Directions Look at the search results from a library database. Then answer the questions below. Glenside Library Home Library Hours Story Hour Database Glenside Free Library Database Search results for Title containing dogs 8 records found Results page 1 of 1 Number Title Year Status 1 Dogs 1985 on shelf 2 The Dog and the Serpent 1996 on shelf 3 Dogs Can t Count 1992 checked out 4 A Guide to Dogs 1977 on shelf 5 A Dog s Journey 1996 reserved 6 Statue of a Dog 1966 on shelf 7 Dogs of the World 1996 checked out 8 Show Dogs 1988 on shelf 6. These results are from a search for a title containing the word dogs. How can you tell? 7. How many records were found for this search? How many are shown on this page? 8. If you wanted to check out Dogs of the World today, would you be able to? How do you know? 9. Which book is reserved? What do you think it means for a book to be reserved? 10. Why does not appear on this list? Home Activity Your child learned about using a library database. Go to the library or go to an online library database with your child. Then search a topic you are both interested in. 92 Research and Study Skills Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1

Plural or Possessive Proofread a Journal Entry Read this journal entry. Circle five words that are spelled incorrectly. Write them correctly on the lines. Find a sentence with a punctuation error. Write it correctly on the line. Dear Journal, My nieces moved a month ago, and I still miss them? Suddenly we live in two different countries. Sometimes we talk on the phone, but ours conversations are so long that they become to expensive. We write so much that if we had secretaries they d be busy all the time. I probably will always miss my niece s. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Plural or Possessive For each sentence, decide if the missing word is plural or possessive. Circle the correct word and write it on the line. 7. That beak looks very sharp. crow s 8. My all have curly hair. niece s crows nieces 9. Almost all have computers these days. libraries libraries 10. The all agreed on what happened. witnesses witnesses 7. 8. 9. 10. Spelling Words country s countries countries its ours theirs hers library s libraries libraries niece s nieces nieces crow s crows witness s witnesses witnesses secretary s secretaries Frequently Misspelled Words too probably Home Activity Your child identified misspelled words. Ask your child to think of and say sentences that contain list words. Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1 Spelling Plural or Possessive 93

Common and Proper Nouns Directions Read the passage. Then read each question. Circle the letter of the correct answer. The American Sewing Machine (1) Elias Howe was the inventor of the first American sewing machine. (2) Inventor Howe was born in spencer, massachusetts in July 1819. (3) When he lost his factory job, he moved to Boston, where he found work in a machine shop and began to work on a sewing machine that could stitch 250 stitches a minute. (4) It took eight years until Howe was ready to demonstrate his machine. (5) By then, Mr. Isaac Singer was hard at work on what became the famous singer sewing machine. (6) Howe earned close to two million dollars from his invention. (7) During the civil war he donated part of his wealth to buy uniforms for the Union army. 1 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 1? A Change Elias Howe to elias howe B Change inventor to Inventor C Change American to american D Make no change 2 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 2? A Change spencer, massachusetts to Spencer, Massachusetts, B Change July to july C Change Inventor to inventor D Make no change 3 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 3? A Change machine shop to Machine Shop B Change Boston to boston C Change sewing machine to Sewing Machine D Make no change 4 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 5? A Change the period to an exclamation point B Change Mr. to mr. C Change singer sewing machine to Singer Sewing Machine D Make no change 5 What change, if any, should be made in sentence 7? A Change Union army to union army B Change civil war to Civil War C Change wealth to Wealth D Make no change Home Activity Your child prepared for taking tests on common and proper nouns. With your child, find four examples each of common and proper nouns in a newspaper or magazine article. 94 Conventions Common and Proper Nouns Reader s and Writer s Notebook Unit 1