Fact & Opinion Name Date

Alaska’s Leading Artist

Read the art essay.
Then follow the directions in the Text Marking box.

Artist and teacher Ronald Senungetuk (b. 1933)

grew up in the tiny Iñupiaq village of Wales, Alaska.

He received early training in the traditional art of ivory

carving but yearned to explore other art forms. He left

Wales at age fifteen to attend high school in Sitka. He

then studied art in Rochester, NY, and in Oslo, Norway.

“Reindeer III” by Ron Senungetuk
In 1962, Ron Senungetuk returned to Alaska to teach art

in Fairbanks.

At first, Senungetuk focused on Western art Text Marking

concepts and works but eventually sought to blend Identify the facts and opinions in
traditional subjects with modern ideas and forms. the essay.

His painted wood sculpture “Old Bering Sea,” which

Box the signal words.
hangs in the Anchorage International Airport, depicts
Circle three facts.
native themes in an abstract style. It reflects the artist’s

vision of exploring traditional ideas in new ways. ________ Underline three opinions.
His innovative approach seems to model how to be a

contemporary global artist by borrowing and blending aspects of diverse cultures.

In 2014, Ron Senungetuk was awarded the rare Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the

Arts. This award paid tribute to his impressive work as a sculptor and silversmith, as well as his passion

for encouraging younger artists. Retired from teaching since 1988, he continues to make art and give

wonderful talks to audiences throughout Alaska.

Senungetuk once wrote: “As a person who has experienced two cultures, I am not very different from others.

I am somewhat bicultural, that is, I do know and appreciate Eskimo way of life. At the same time, I am able to

live in an urban community. If there were no choice. . . I would probably feel very much at home in a village.

Yet, I am not practicing the Eskimo way of life. To do so, I think would be an attempt to stop time.”
Informational Passages for Text Marking & Close Reading: Grade 6
© 2015 by Scholastic Teaching Resources
1
 Do More Name Date

Alaska’s Leading Artist

,, Answer each question. Give evidence from the essay.

1 Which of the following is the best synonym for the word contemporary (paragraph 2)?

tt¶ A. unique tt¶ B. modern tt¶ C. abstract tt¶ D. artistic

What in the text helped you answer? ________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

2 Which of the following best explains why Ron Senungetuk fits the description of a
“contemporary global artist”?

tt¶ A. He is a sculptor as well as a painter and silversmith.

tt¶ B. He blends traditional ideas with new ones.

tt¶ C. He could live in a city as well as in a village.

tt¶ D. He returned to his home state after studying abroad.

What in the text helped you answer? ________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

3 Is the title of this essay a fact or an opinion? Explain. _________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

4 Discuss why an essay about an artist and his work would include both facts and opinions.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Informational Passages for Text Marking & Close Reading: Grade 6

© 2015 by Scholastic Teaching Resources
2
Teaching Routine for Close Reading and Purposeful
Text Marking
Any text can become more accessible to readers who have learned to bring various
strategies, such as purposeful text marking, to the reading process. Here is one suggested
routine that may be effective in your classroom.
Preview

44 Engage prior knowledge of the topic of the piece and its genre. Help students link it
to similar topics or examples of the genre they may have read.
44 for which students will be marking the text. Distribute the
Identify the reading skill
Comprehension Skill Summary Card that applies to this passage. Go over its key ideas.

Model (for the first passage, to familiarize students with the process)

44 Display the passage, using an interactive whiteboard, document camera, or other

resource, and provide students with their own copy. Preview the text with students by
having them read the title and look at any photographs, illustrations, or other graphics.
44 Draw attention to the markings students will use to enhance their understanding of
the piece. Link the text marking box to the Comprehension Skill Summary Card
for clarification.
44 Read aloud the passage as students follow along. Guide students to think about the
skill and to note any questions they may have on sticky-notes.
44 Mark the text together.Begin by numbering the paragraphs. Then discuss the choices
you make when marking the text, demonstrating and explaining how the various text
elements support the skill. Check that students understand how to mark the text using
the various icons and graphics shown in the text marking box.
Read

44 Have students do a quick-read of the passage independently for the gist. Then they
should read it a second time, marking the text as they go.
44 Encourage students to make additional markings of their own. These might include
noting unfamiliar vocabulary, an idiom or phrase they may not understand, or an
especially interesting, unusual, or important detail they want to remember. Invite them
to use sticky-notes, colored pencils, highlighters, question marks, or check marks.
Respond

44 Have students read the passage a third time. This reading should prepare them to
discuss the piece and offer their views about it.
44 Have students answer the questions on the companion Do More page. Encourage
them to look back at their text markings and other text evidence. This will help
students provide complete and supported responses.

Informational Passages for Text Marking & Close Reading: Grade 6

© 2015 by Scholastic Teaching Resources
3
Comprehension Skill Summary Card

To help students review the reading-comprehension skill this lesson addresses and the
specific terms associated within, have them use the reproducible Comprehension Skill
Summary Card. The boldface terms on the card are the same ones students will identify
as they mark the text.
You might duplicate and distribute the Comprehension Skill Summary Card before
assigning the passage that focuses on that skill. Discuss the elements of the skill together
to ensure that students fully grasp it.

Tips and Suggestions

44 The text-marking process is versatile and adaptable. Although numbering,

boxing, circling, and underlining are the most common methods, you can
personalize the strategy for your class if it helps augment the process. You
might have students use letters to mark text; they can, for example, write MI
to indicate a main idea, D to mark a detail, or F for fact and O for opinion.
Whichever technique you use, focus on the need for consistency of marking.
44 You may wish to extend the text-marking strategy by having students identify
other aspects of writing, such as figurative language or confusing words,
expressions, or idioms. Moreover, you can invite students to write their own
notes and questions in the margins.

Comprehension Skill

Fact & Opinion

Do you truly know something or do you

simply believe it? Telling the difference
between knowing and believing is a critical
reading and thinking skill.

44 A fact is a statement you can prove

or verify. Facts are true and certain.

44 An opinion is a statement of personal

belief or feeling. Opinions vary.

44 Signal words can help distinguish

facts from opinions.
Examples for facts: proof, know, and discovered,
as well as details, such as dates and ages.
Examples for opinions: believe, wish, favor,
expect, agree, disagree, probably, seems to,
sense, think, viewpoint, and feel.

Informational Passages for Text Marking & Close Reading: Grade 6

© 2015 by Scholastic Teaching Resources
4
 . Sample Text Markings
Fact & Opinion Name Date

Alaska’s Leading Artist

Passage 6: Alaska’s Leading Artist
Read the art essay.
Then follow the directions in the Text Marking box.
1. B; Sample answer: I think contemporary and modern
Artist and teacher Ronald Senungetuk (b. 1933)
mean the same thing, and I see both of these words in
grew up in the tiny Iñupiaq village of Wales, Alaska.

He received early training in the traditional art of ivory

that paragraph.
carving but yearned to explore other art forms. He left

Wales at age fifteen to attend high school in Sitka. He

2. B; In paragraph 2, the writer explains that his artistic
then studied art in Rochester, NY, and in Oslo, Norway. vision is to blend traditional and modern ideas and styles
In 1962, Ron Senungetuk returned to Alaska to teach art
“Reindeer III” by Ron Senungetuk
in new ways, and to blend aspects of diverse cultures.
in Fairbanks.
Text Marking
At first, Senungetuk focused on Western art

concepts and works but eventually sought to blend

3. Sample answer: I think the title is an opinion because
Identify the facts and opinions in
traditional subjects with modern ideas and forms. the essay. not everyone responds to art in the same way. Some
His painted wood sculpture “Old Bering Sea,” which
Box the signal words.
people might not think he is a great artist. However,
hangs in the Anchorage International Airport, depicts
Circle three facts.
Senungetuk’s work has been so well-received that the
native themes in an abstract style. It reflects the artist’s
writer might consider it a fact.
vision of exploring traditional ideas in new ways. ________ Underline three opinions.

4. Sample answer: It helps to understand a person and

His innovative approach seems to model how to be a

contemporary global artist by borrowing and blending aspects of diverse cultures.

In 2014, Ron Senungetuk was awarded the rare Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the his art by knowing some hard facts about him. However,
Arts. This award paid tribute to his impressive work as a sculptor and silversmith, as well as his passion the appreciation of art can vary widely, so it makes sense
for encouraging younger artists. Retired from teaching since 1988, he continues to make art and give
that the writer would include some opinions, including
wonderful talks to audiences throughout Alaska.

Senungetuk once wrote: “As a person who has experienced two cultures, I am not very different from others.
those of the artist.
I am somewhat bicultural, that is, I do know and appreciate Eskimo way of life. At the same time, I am able to

live in an urban community. If there were no choice. . . I would probably feel very much at home in a village.

Yet, I am not practicing the Eskimo way of life. To do so, I think would be an attempt to stop time.”
Informational Passages for Text Marking & Close Reading: Grade 6
© 2015 by Scholastic Teaching Resources

Informational Passages for Text Marking & Close Reading: Grade 6

© 2015 by Scholastic Teaching Resources
5