March 16, 2020 Dear 7th grade Scorpion Students, We may not be at school but we must continue learning, We have made this packet to help you. We want you to read everyday, read magazines, graphic novels, newspapers, picture books, online articles, BOOKS.....READ! Read to people. We want you to write. Write your memories. We are writing history and your journals are primary sources. Everyday we encourage you to doa ReadingPlus reading lesson and vocabulary lesson. You also have access to ELA in IXL. We have included below directions for ReadingPlus at home and for the digital library. If you would like to finish reading The Giver, there is a link below or you can google The Giver pdf. Please take this time at home to grow asa learner. Youcan email us if you have any questions! Thank you, Drew Beasley Karrie Combs 7th Grade ELA East Wilkes MIddle School Appalachian Digital Library htt Username: Lunch Number Password: Last four of your lunch number When you are asked for your library choose Appalachian Regional Library Username and password are asked again they are they same as before Readingplus.com Site Code: rpeastw3 Usemame: lunch number Password: is birthday with no leading zeros and backslashes for example if your birthday is July 19. 2006 7/19/2006 ‘The Giver htto://daal.deltaschools.com/content/the-giver.pdf‘Nor nGnau ioe ua to Hp app fa He mute stoptenb sou suoqronb 6unieH 92 431ZINOvem tes ono mss 3) en ee=O 10 “0 0 ound numer vette nat Ge oa EY=O “0 =O 0 “0GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS £ l } Excerpt from “Walking Through the World of Math” by Francis Scheid Why do some of us get “hooked” on math, while others despair of ever “getting it” at all? Tough question. Maybe it’s in the genes. The hooked say they enjoy the mental challenge of thinking things through—little problems and big problems, for fun or profit or just to better understand our world. No doubt this is the case, especially when they succeed and have the thrill of victory. You can experience a similar thrill, perhaps a bit smaller, whenever you face a math challenge, try hard, and “get it.” Call it reasoning or just plain careful thinking, but without question it is the “spirit of math.” Of course, you don’t always “win.” The you-know-what of defeat comes to us all. Then it’s time-out and, for serious mathematicians, another and another try. Perhaps you didn’t have the right tools handy at first. There are plenty of unsolved math problems, ones that have “stuck” the best of mathematicians—so far, anyway. . . ¢ @ Math has at least three faces, Sometimés it’s fin, sometimes it’s beautiful, and it has even been known to be (smile here) useful. Usually it's a mix of all three. Although the famous British mathematician G.H. Hardy (1877-1947) once said proudly, “I never did anything useful,” what he really:meant was that he concentrated solely on the fun and the beauty of math, rather than on.its application. @) You know about crawling before you walk, walking before you run. The parallel in math is doing arithmetic before you do algebra, algebra before calculus, calculus before lots of other good stuff. You won't find all of it even in a college library. But the trick is to take it step-by-step and enjoy the journey. That is where the fun and the beauty of math come in... And now a few quotes, somewhat abbreviated, about the topic at hand. Aristotle: Mathematics exhibits the greatest forms of the beautiful. Plato: The knowledge at which geometry aims is the knowledge of the eternal, British philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1861-1947): Mathematics is the most unique creation of the human spirit. Somebody else: Math is the science of the infinite. Go to the next page,@ As for the mathematical infinite, it obviously means thinking PRETTY BIG. . . . Philosophers and mathematicians have always loved thinking about the infinite. It is one giant step in the growing up of a mathematician. 1 Why does the author put “hooked” and “getting it” in quotation marks? A B Gi D to show that the words are slang to quote someone to define the words to prove that the words apply to math 2 What argument is the author making in paragraph 3? A B c D Mathematics is mostly theorétical rather than practical. Mathematics has relationships to both art and music. Mathematics can be fun, but can be used for many purposes. Mathematics appeals mostly to people who do well in math. 3 What is the reason the author adds the phrase “(smile here)” to the sentence in paragraph 3? A B ic D because many students think math is pointless because the author really likes math because several unlikely ideas are stressed because math can be a funny topicee GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS 4 What does the word parallel in paragraph 4 suggest about the concepts? A They are opposite in nature. B They are written on the same line of the page. C They are both used in advanced mathematics. D They are similar in what they mean. 5 What do the people quoted in the text have in common? A They focus on practical uses of math. B They became interested in math early in life. C They get pleasure from math D They are all famous philosophers. 6 — What effect do the quotes from other people have on the author's purpose for the text? A They help to prove the author's point that the world of math can be fun and beautiful. B They are included to provide background information about the history of some famous math scholars. C They serve as a reminder of how important it is to study mathematics in school. D They illustrate that all of the different areas of math study are crucial to becoming a mathematician, Go to the next page.GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED What is the meaning of the word infinite in paragraph 6? A B ic D the highest number that has ever been calculated greater than any measurable amount the largest number at the end of a number line smaller than can be seen by humans What is the “spirit of math” in the text? A B Cc D solving only problems that are easy worrying about whether math is useful being willing to do things one step at a time trying hard and thinking problems'through ITEMS LE} Go to the next page,( GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS No Hero by Jesse Stuart Everybody at the fair thought the thin man was crazy. How could he wrestle with a 386-pound bear? But a man with hungry children will try almost anything for money— especially when he has a secret up his sleeve. (In the story, people call Hester “Ichabod Crane,” who is a famous character with a tall, thin body.) Thad been walking for seven miles. I stopped to catch my breath and do some thinking. The bright lights of Landsburg were in front of me. Behind me were the dark hills where my crops had failed, Mollie and our three children were in a shack among these hills. “Hester, we can’t go another day without bread," Mollie had Said. She couldn't understand why I was going to Landsburg. And I couldn't tell her what I had in mind, Nature had been against me. It wasn’t that I wouldn't work. I was willing to work. But the bad weather had killed my crops. I,couldn’t make it rain. There wasn’t anything I could do. Alll I’d worked for was lost. Nature was against me in another way that I couldn’t help. I’d grown up tall as a beanpole. And I was thin as a young tree. So they wouldn't hire me at the iron works. Iwas near Landsburg now. I could see bright lights along the streets. There was one really bright spot in the town. And in a few minutes, I had reached it. People filled the fairground. They were almost running over each other. They were standing in line to buy rings to throw over pegs. They were waiting to ride the merry-go-round and the merry mix-up. Money was flowing like water. And everybody was happy. I wished for a little of the money. But my time was coming. An announcer stepped out on a platform. “We are looking for a man to stay with Old Bruin five minutes tonight,” he said. “Is there aman who will wrestle this 386-pound bear?” The crowd was silent. cee, ua Go to the next page.GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS LA “Stay in the cage with Old Bruin for five minutes, and earn $25,” the announcer said. “Earn $25 for every extra five minutes. And there will be $100 extra if you wrestle him.” “T'll try it, sir," I said. “That bear will kill you, man,” someone said. “Ain't you afraid of him, Slim?” “Yes, I am," I said. “Come up here, Slim,” the announcer said. “Let the crowd have a look at you!” When I climbed up on the platform, everybody laughed, “Ever do any wrestling, Slim?” the announcer asked. “Never did,” I said. More people gathered in to have a look at me. “Nobody’s stayed with that bear three minutes,” said a big man. “Hogg Morton stayed the longest,” someone said. “He stayed two minutes! Had the bear down once! But that bear almost killed Hogg!” “Buddie Walker didn’t stay ten seconds,” another man said, “Bear just knocked him against the cage once. And that was it!” “How long do you think you can last?” the announcer asked. “Five minutes,” I said*Maybetlonger.” "Mr. Hester King says he'll stay with the bear five minutes or longer. And you say he won't, Let’s see who is telling the truth!” the announcer said “Old Ichabod, the beanpole, will soon find out,” someone shouted. “Wait until you see this man in wrestling trunks,” the announcer said. “Worth the price of admission, folks!” I followed the announcer into the tent. The crowd rushed to buy tickets. I went into a dressing room to change. I thought about my children. Then I thought about big Bruin. I wondered just what would happen. Go to the Hext/page, BGRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS Iwas ready. The manager warned me not to be too scared. He said the referee— Johnnie Norris—would make sure Bruin didn’t hurt me. ‘The manager pushed back a flap of the tent. We walked into the arena. People were crowded close to the cage. The big black bear was inside the cage. He walked around, looking at the people I walked among the crowd. Everybody screamed with laughter. I was now getting near the cage door. “Timekeeper here?” the referee asked. “Yep,” the timekeeper said. “All right. Start your watch,” Johnnie said. He unlocked the cage door. "Shake hands with Bruin,” he told me. T shook Bruin’s paw gently. Everybody in the tent bécamie very quiet. Bruin backed away. Then he moved clumsily toward me. He pushed me against the side of the cage. He acted like he wanted to finish me in a hurry. “won't be long,” someone said. I got back on my feet. I ran in between Old Bruin’s outstretched paws. Old Bruin tried squeezing on me. I hugged close to Bruin. I put my hands gently on his back. Then he shoved me back. He slapped me again. He knocked me against the side of the cage. But it didn’t hurt me. And’ didn’t stay long. I ran back into his arms. “Three minutes,” said the timekeeper. “Longest anybody has stayed yet!” Old Bruin slapped me hard. I hit the bars of the cage, and saw stars. I was clinched with Old Bruin again. I let my hands fall gently up and down his back. Bruin was settling down. My chin rested on his head. “Five minutes,” the timekeeper called. oo 8 Go to the next page, N\A &GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS We stood there paw-locked and arm-locked. Time was flying. Once Johnnie Norris passed us. He had a worried look on his face. “Ten minutes,” the timekeeper said. Then Bruin put his red tongue out like a tired dog, I felt his hot breath sizzle past my ear. The sweat was pouring from my face, Holding up big Bruin wasn't easy. “Has he hypnotized that bear?” someone shouted. About that time, Bruin pushed me to the floor. But he didn’t come after me. He looked like a very tired wrestler. I got back on my feet. Bruin came to meet me. He slapped me gently with his paws. I did a little footwork around the cage. Bruin’s front paws were spread apart. I rushed in and clinched him. “Fifteen minutes,” the timekeeper said. There were shouts from the crowd. “$75,” I thought. Then I put my chin back on Bruin’s head. I put my big hands on Bruin’s back. This time Bruin went down. And I fell down beside‘him. Johnnie Norris ran up to check our shoulders. The crowd screamed loud enough to raise the tent. My right arm was around Bruin’s néck. We lay there, side by side. “What's wrong here?” Johnnie.asked. “Nineteen minutes,” the timekeeper said. Shouts went up again from the people. “Who said old Ichabod Crane couldn't wrestle?” someone said. They didn’t know it. But I knew Bruin was ready for a rest on the floor. “Twenty minutes!” the timekeeper said. “Old Ichabod Crane is some wrestler!” a man shouted. “Twenty-four minutes,” the timekeeper announced. Then Old Bruin rolled over on his back. Go to the next page:Ee The crowd went wild. There were screams, shouts, and whistles. GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS “Let's have a count. Bruin’s down! He's down!” someone shouted. Bruin didn’t offer to get up. His big mouth was open. “You must have played my bear foul,” Johnnie Norris said. “I did not,” I said. "You'll see Bruin’s not hurt. He’s tired, but happy.” “First time that bear was ever down,” Johnnie said. Johnnie Norris started to get Old Bruin up. But the bear gave him a hit on the top of his head. It sent Johnnie flying towards the other side of the cage. “$225!” someone said. “Think of it! Ichabod Crane beat Old Bruin!” The manager let me through the cage door. He then dragged Johnnie outside. The men lifted me onto their shoulders. They carried me out of the tent and all over the fairgrounds. They shouted. “Here’s Tchabod Crane! He beat the bear!” Everybody laughed and screamed and shouted. The manager paid me the money. I was a hero for the night. But they didn’t know how I did it. I didn’t tell them or anybody what a friénd I'd made of Bruin. I didn’t tell them that I'd ‘once owned a pet bear. You see . . . a bear likes to be rubbed between the ears and on the tummy. I suppose it wasn’t exactly fair, But Mollie and the kids had to eat. Gentling Old Bruin was an easy dollar. Go to the next page.“GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS AA) 9 Which statement summarizes the plot of the selection? A Hester was a man who used his prior knowledge of bears to creatively earn money, Hester lied about his background and unfairly cheated the fairground out of $225, Hester was desperate, so he foolishly put his life at risk. Hester's crops failed because he did not properly care for them. 10 Why does the author include the introduction to the selection? A B Cc D to introduce the setting of the selection to provide background information about the main character to give specific details about the bear in the wrestling cage to provide knowledge of what happens to the bear 11 What do the “bright lights of Landsburg” represent for Hester King as he leaves his home? > A B Gs D They represent a dependable person who will lead the way. They represent a chance to seek safe entertainment. They represent a risky experience that awaits him. They represent an opportunity to solve a problem. or! y - Km 1 3D Go to the next page. Nv 712 13 14 GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS L l i] What is the reason that Hester left without telling Mollie where he was going? A B c D Mollie would want to come along, too. Mollie would be afraid of the danger. Mollie would want him to get a job. Mollie would tell him to take the kids with him. What does the phrase “clinched with Old Bruin” mean in paragraph 49? A B c D Hester and the bear were helping each other. Hester and the bear were hurting each other, Hester and the bear were hitting each other. Hester and the bear were hugging each other. How does Hester defeat Bruin in the cage? A B c D He injures the animal so it cannot fight. He uses information that he learned as a child. He pretends to be asleep, and he is left alone. He frightens the animal because he yells at it. a A _ Go to the next'page, NS :15 ‘GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS é L How does the setting of the selection shape the plot? A B c D The country fair provides the arena for the conflict and the resolution. The countryside provides the suspense for the characters and the action. The country fair sets up the details that foreshadow the main problem. The countryside represents the emotional reactions felt by the characters. Go to the next page.GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS A Nation Divided Crossing the Border Although the U.S. Post Office Department officially ended mail traffic across the border on August 26, 1861, mail continued to be carried between North and South. Express companies carried much of the mail through “flag-of-truce” ships. Because Union forces began blockading Southern ports in April 1861, mail was often carried on blockade runners or routed through foreign posts. Southern mail going overseas was carried through the Union blockade by ships sailing from Cuba, Bermuda, and other islands in the West Indies to Charleston, South Carolina;, Wilmington, North Carolina; and several Southern ports on the Gulf of Mexico. Because the Confederacy did not have postal treaties with foreign governments, letters were carried as private “ship” mail. They were charged the inland rates plus two cents, which was paid to the ship’s master. The handstamped “ship” marking indicated receipt of the letter from a Private vessel, Letters carried through the Union blockade paid postage twice. The first was U.S. postage, which paid overland postage once the letter was deposited into the U.S. Mail. “he second charge came from the ship’s master, who placed the letters into federal mailboxes. The Confederate Postal System The Confederate States of America (CSA) formed their own Post Office Department on February 21, 1861. John H. Reagan,was named as the service’s postmaster general. In all, Reagan placed 8,535 of the nation’s 28,586 post offices under Confederate control and sought assistance from Southern sympathizers in the U.S. Post Office Department, Reagan tried to bring not just employees from the Federal system into his, but also all that they could bring in the way of maps, reports, forms, and plans that would build and strengthen the new service. At first, all postal business was conducted with U.S. money and postage stamps. The first Confederate stamps were not available until October 1861. Most printers capable of doing the work were in the Northern states. Until Confederate stamps became available, some local postmasters created and sold their own provisional stamps or marked mail “paid” by hand, The first Confederate stamps were printed by the Richmond, Virginia, lithography firm, Hoyer & Ludwig, which had no background in stamp printing. The first official issue was a S-cent green stamp bearing the portrait of CSA President Jefferson Davis, making him -he first living president to appear on a postage stamp. Because of the low quality of Go to the next page.GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS their stamps, Hoyer & Ludwig lost the contract. The internationally known London, England, printing firm of Thomas De La Rue & Co. prepared plates and stamps for the CSA until a Southern firm was found to take over the work. That firm, Archer & Daly, began producing stamps in 1863. Old stocks of U.S. stamped envelopes and ordinary envelopes were imprinted to indicate that the enclosed correspondence was official business of the Confederate Post Office Department. Such mail required no postage when properly endorsed. Other Confederate government departments, minor offices and bureaus, army headquarters, military divisions, and individual states used imprinted envelopes for official correspondence, but were required to pay postage. ‘As Union troops regained Southern territories, federal mail service began to be restored. By the end of 1865, almost 500 routes had been restored. By November 1, 1866, almost half of the post offices in the South had been returned to federal service. John Reagan, traveling with Jefferson Davis, was arrested on May 8, 1865, and imprisoned at Ft. Warren in Boston Harbor. Reagan was pardoned and released from prison almost two years later. He returned to his home state of Texas. He eventually made it back to Congress, where he became chairman of the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads. Adversity Covers As the war continued, the Union blockade proved critical in restricting goods from entering and leaving the Confederacy. Southerners faced increasing shortages of supplies, including paper and envelopes. Writers began to use whatever was handy as letter-writing paper and envelopes. These items are known by philatelists" as “adversity covers.” Letters and envelopes were fashioned from the backs of ledger sheets, printed circulars, blank pages in books, maps, and even wallpaper. Some writers reused envelopes by turning them inside out. Any blank or partially blank piece of paper could be pressed into service as an envelope. Soldiers’ Mail ® For many soldiers, the Civil War was their first extended absence from home. Their letters often included references both to the loneliness of life and the horrors of the ‘philatelists: people who collect stamps as a hobby Go to the next page.GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS L l J conflict. Letters from home were always welcome relief in a soldier's day. Families were not the only ones eager for word from their loved ones at war. For the first time, newspaper publishers could rely on soldiers’ letters for first-person depictions of battles. Because they were often on the move, soldiers’ mail service was irregular at best. While letters might find them easily when they were camped for extended periods, when on the march, units could travel for weeks without receiving their mail. The postal service acknowledged that many soldiers did not carry stamps with them and Permitted them to send letters without stamps. A soldier's envelope had to bear his name, rank, and unit. Such mail was marked “postage due,” and the amount indicated was collected from the addressee. Prisoner-of-War Mail Confederate and Union prisoners were allowed to exchange mail through flag-of-truce ships. Confederate and Union prisoner-of-war letters were exchanged at designated points. These letters usually were enclosed within an inner, unsealed envelope that bore enemy stamps or was sent postage due. The outer cover was destroyed after the contents were ensored, as indicated by proper markings and endorsements on the envelope carrying the letter to its destination, Patriotic Covers Illustrated stationery reveals the strong emotions generated by the Civil War. In the North, envelopes bearing patriotic illustrations appeared even before hostilities broke out. Soon after the war began, Southern stationers quickly marketed patriotic envelopes picturing flags, cannons, political leaders, slogans, soldiers, and caricatures, among other war-related themes. a ~ om 16 2 Go'to thé next page, 7 :16 17 18 GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS £ L J What is the central idea of the text? A B c D how the postal service adapted to the Civil War how the Union control of the mail affected the Confederacy the role of the postal service during the Civil War the importance of mail for Confederate soldiers Which is a summary of the section entitled “Crossing the Border”? A It details how many ships were used as blockade runners during the Civil War. It explains why ship mail was so expensive during the Civil War. It describes how mail was transported from the North to the South during most of the Civil War. It defines the role of the ship’s,master as the new postmaster of the Confederate Post Office Department. How does the section entitled “The Confederate Postal System” contribute to the understanding of the title? A The section explains why the United States Postal Service could not produce stamps during the Civil War. The section describes the characteristics of the first postmaster general, John H. Reagan. The section describes why ships were needed by the United States Postal Service. The section explains that the Confederate states started their own postal system during the Civil War. Go to the next page,19 20 21 GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS Why was the printing of postal stamps delayed for the Confederate postal system? A B c D The stamp designs had to be imported from England. The typical stamp printers were all located in the North. All of the reliable stamp printers were housed in the South. No one could decide on a design for the stamp. What does the phrase “first-person depictions of battles” mean in paragraph 12? A B Cc D direct participation in the battles themselves permission to send letters about battles battles seen through the eyes of the men fighting recorded sounds of the battles How does the author support the claim that the U.S. Mail tried to assist the communications between the soldiers and their loved ones? A B Cc D The soldiers had to send their letters through certain cities. The soldiers needed to have special stamps for their letters. The soldiers did not have to pay for stamps to send their letters. The soldiers sént their letters on specially designed ships. a ‘ ¥ ee 2 Go to the next page. N\A22 23 “GRADE 7 READING—RELEASED ITEMS Ayal) How did the Civil War influence the mail service? 000 Mail service was difficult and slow, but it persevered. Mail service was carefully controlled and never faltered. Mail service was inept, expensive, and rarely successful. Mail service was interrupted for the duration of the war. Which statement is supported by information in the text? A B c D The Union postal system played an important role in ending the Civil War. The Confederacy ran a successful mail program with Union support. The Union postal system lacked resources to, support the Confederacy. The Union limited the Confederacy’s ability to send mail. c copres¥ sd Go to the next page.