Language Arts Unit 11
Read the supporting text from "Disease Control" and the passage from When Birds Get Flu by John DiConsiglio. In 1958, scientists at the CDC made their first trip overseas. A team went to Southeast Asia to respond to an epidemic of smallpox and cholera. Since then, the CDC has been active throughout the world, following infectious [diseases] such as smallpox, polio, tuberculosis, AIDS, and SARS. *** So where did this killer flu come from? In 2005, researchers at the CDC announced that it had probably started off as a bird flu and then jumped to humans. Does that sound familiar? The Spanish flu is very similar to the bird flu we see today. Some scientists believe it's the same strain of influenza. What do these two passages have in common?
Both mention diseases the CDC studies.
Which question from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio best summarizes the main problem that the author is addressing?
Can one animal cause a national health emergency?
Read this excerpt from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We?. Flu Factoids Pbskids.org/zoom/fromyou/survey/flu_facts.html Find out cool news about the flu - and ways to avoid it - at this PBS site. This resource would help a reader better understand
how to protect oneself from catching the flu.
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. Early that morning, a tissue sample from a cow in Washington State had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)—also known as mad cow disease. That's a rare brain disorder that kills both animals and humans. In Europe, hundreds of thousands of cows have caught the disease. And 150 humans have died from it. The author's purpose in structuring this passage is to
identify a problem.
Read these passages from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. "Spanish Flu Mystery May Be Solved!" A team of scientists has solved an 87-year-old mystery. The cause of the 1918 Spanish flu, which killed 40 to 50 million people, has finally been identified. "People Observe World AIDS Day!" More than 25 million people worldwide have died of the AIDS pandemic since 1981. And nearly 40 million more now live with the disease. By contrasting the success in identifying the Spanish flu with the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS, the author
implies that a breakthrough for AIDS is also possible.
Read these passages from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. "The Disease Hunter's Toolbox" From biohazard suits to super computers, infectious disease fighters need lots of equipment. "Fear of Food?" We want you to enjoy your food. Really, we do. . . . Here's how you can protect yourself from it. From the two passages, the reader can conclude that avoiding disease is
possible.
When a story is organized as an informational text, the reader knows the central idea will have to do with
real life.
Which is a problem-solution signal word?
resolve
The main purpose of a graph is to
show different kinds of data.
Read this table of contents. CONTENTS 1. History behind Homework 28. Pros and Cons 59. Research Findings 88. Real-Life Stories 96. So What's the Answer? Based on information found in this table of contents, what do you predict the section entitled "Research Findings" is about?
studies conducted about homework
What is the final step in evaluating the information in a video?
summarizing ideas
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. Japan, for example, tests a sample from every cow that will be used for food. The meat is kept in refrigerators until the test comes back negative. Most European nations test about 70 percent of their cows. But in the U.S., only about 650,000 of the 35 million cattle slaughtered each year are tested. The author most likely includes a signal word so that the reader will recognize
that there is still a problem.
One way to sort information chronologically is to use
timelines.
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu by John DiConsiglio. The disease that concerned Dr. Dowell was avian influenza, or bird flu. This virus usually strikes poultry, like chickens, ducks, and turkeys. It's rare for bird flu to make people sick. What is most likely the author's purpose in this passage?
to add supplemental information that explains the situation
Which choice best states one purpose of an interview?
to ask well-researched questions
Which best explains why John DiConsiglio includes supporting texts in When Birds Get Flu?
to better explain some of the ideas in the main text
Which is one purpose for providing additional resources at the end of an informational text?
to enrich content with suggestions for multimedia sources
Why does the author of When Birds Get Flu most likely include the supplemental text "Disease Central"?
to explain why the CDC doctor is involved in the bird flu case
What is the best reason to color-code a map?
to help the reader quickly locate geographic regions
Which choice best states one purpose of an interview?
to learn more about a specific person
Read this passage from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. Can a steak or hamburger that's infected with mad cow disease end up on your dinner plate? The answer is: probably not. What is most likely the author's intended effect with this problem and solution structure?
to reassure the reader about the dangers of mad cow disease
Read the video transcript from Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety. What most likely is the purpose of the rescue scene at the beginning?
to teach viewers about cross contamination
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. In Europe, hundreds of thousands of cows have caught the disease. And 150 humans have died from it. But mad cow disease had never appeared in the U.S. Until now! What tone does this passage have?
urgency
What can a video do that a text cannot?
use moving images and sound
Read these headings from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. 1968 Another Pandemic 1986 Don't Eat the Meat 1996 A Bad Burger 1997 When Birds Get Flu . . . From the headings, the reader can conclude that this section of the text will be sorted by
when events took place.
At the end of When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad!, author John DiConsiglio leaves what problem unresolved?
whether the US should do more testing on cows
What is one benefit of including a glossary at the end of a text?
Glossaries organize vocabulary words alphabetically, which makes the words easier to locate.
One example of cause-and-effect signal words is
"for this reason."
Look at this section from the table of contents for When Birds Get Flu. CONTENTS 42. FLASHBACK: Key Dates in the History of Disease 44. RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES: In the News 46. REAL STUFF: The Disease Hunter's Toolbox 48. Fear of Food? If you wanted to find the date of the first documented case of the bird flu, which page would you turn to?
42
Look at this section from the table of contents for When Birds Get Flu. CONTENTS 8. OVERHEARD IN THE LAB: What's the Word? 10. SEE FOR YOURSELF: Nothing to Sneeze At 12. WHO'S WHO? The Medical Team 15. CASE #1: The Mystery of the Killer Bird Flu! An 11-year-old-girl and her mother die from a serious flu. Is this the start of a worldwide health crisis? If you wanted to read the latest scientific findings about the bird flu, which page would you turn to?
8
Which choice best states how a video extends learning about a topic?
A video can provide additional information on a topic by using images.
Read this excerpt from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We?. 24/7: And working with the CDC has allowed you to do that? DR. SCOTT DOWELL: Right. I joined the CDC as an epidemic intelligence service officer. We're like medical detectives. We're the ones who run to a country when we hear about an outbreak of disease. Usually, the nation's government asks us for help. Their people are dying and they need outside aid. How could a video best build on the idea of "disease detectives" from the interview?
A video could show epidemic intelligence officers collecting clues about diseases.
Read this excerpt from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We?. 24/7: How did you become interested in disease control? DR. SCOTT DOWELL: My father was a doctor. I remember being very young and traveling with him and my mother to Haiti. He treated patients there who were suffering from different viruses. How could a video best extend the information provided by Dr. Dowell in his answer?
A video could show images of Dr. Dowell's father treating patients in Haiti.
Which question from When Birds Get Flu by John DiConsiglio best summarizes the central idea of the text?
Did the girl pass deadly bird flu directly to her mother?
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu by John DiConsiglio. It was September 2004. An 11-year-old girl had fallen ill after playing with some sick chickens. At first, it seemed like a bad case of the flu. But the girl kept getting sicker. In the hospital, her mother held her for hours. Then early in the morning, the girl died. Soon, her mother began to feel sick. The mother died, too. Dr. Dowell is an epidemiologist. His job is to figure out what makes people sick—and to keep diseases from spreading to others. He feared that the little girl and her mother had died from a rare bird flu. If Dowell was right, it could mean big trouble. Which statement best explains the central idea that this passage introduces?
Dr. Dowell will try to find out if the girl and her mother died of bird flu.
Read the passage from Food Safety Myths Exposed. Myth #1: Food poisoning isn't that big of a deal. I just have to tough it out for a day or two and then it's over. Fact: Many people don't know it, but some foodborne illnesses can actually lead to long-term health conditions, and 3,000 Americans a year die from foodborne illness. Get the facts on long-term effects of food poisoning. What idea do this passage and the video Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety both share?
Food poisoning is a cause for concern.
What is the most important idea that the authors of the video transcript of Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety and the text Food Safety Myths Exposed want the viewers to understand?
Food poisoning is dangerous but avoidable with proper food safety.
Which question best serves the purpose of an interview?
How did you become interested in this subject?
Look at this graphic organizer from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. What does the chart most suggest about the job of a disease hunter?
It is complex and potentially dangerous.
Read this excerpt from "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." The origin of smallpox as a natural disease is lost in prehistory. It is believed to have appeared around 10,000 BC, at the time of the first agricultural settlements in northeastern Africa. It seems plausible that it spread from there to India by means of ancient Egyptian merchants. What is the central claim of the excerpt?
It is difficult to trace the beginnings of smallpox.
What is one benefit of including a vocabulary section at the beginning of a text?
It prepares readers to look for new vocabulary as they read.
Which statement best describes the purpose of the table titled "Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)" at the end of the passage When Birds Get Flu?
It provides the reader with facts that are easy to read and locate.
Based on the information in "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination," which sentence best explains how the twentieth century is significant in the historical timeline of smallpox?
It represents the end of the disease.
Read this excerpt from "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." The regular practice of variolation reached the New World in 1721. . . . During the decades following the 1721 epidemic in Boston, variolation became more widespread in the colonies of New England. In 1766, American soldiers under George Washington were unable to take Quebec from the British troops, apparently because of a smallpox epidemic that significantly reduced the number of healthy troops. The British soldiers were all variolated. By 1777, Washington had learned his lesson: all his soldiers were variolated before beginning new military operations. How is the author's claim in this excerpt similar to previous claims about variolation in the passage?
It shows how variolation became more popular as it was proved helpful.
Read this excerpt from "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." Scientific advances during the two centuries since Edward Jenner performed his first vaccination on James Phipps have proved him to be more right than wrong. Which is the author's central claim in this excerpt?
Jenner's work is still relevant and important today.
Read this excerpt from "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." After introducing cowpox inoculation in their own districts, many recipients passed the vaccine on to others. Dr. John Haygarth (of Bath, Somerset) received the vaccine from Edward Jenner in 1800 and sent some of the material to Benjamin Waterhouse, professor of physics at Harvard University. Waterhouse introduced vaccination in New England and then persuaded Thomas Jefferson to try it in Virginia. Which central claim may be inferred from this excerpt?
Many people worked together to spread the idea of the vaccine.
According to the information in "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination," which event occurred first in the historical timeline of smallpox?
Not: Herbs and cold treatments were used as remedies for the disease.
What is the viewer most likely intended to learn from the rescue at the beginning of the video transcript of Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety?
Not: Since the rescue is about a family, the viewer is intended to learn about healthy family dinners.
Read this excerpt from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We?. Web MD www.webmd.com This is a comprehensive, easy-to-use site with all sorts of helpful medical information. This resource would best help a reader gain more understanding about
Not: how to prevent environmental health threats.
Based on the information in "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination," after concluding that cowpox could be used to eliminate smallpox, Jenner
Not: retrieved matter from cowpox lesions on a dairy maid.
Read the excerpt from the supporting text "Disease Central" in When Birds Get Flu by John DiConsiglio. In 1958, scientists at the CDC made their first trip overseas. A team went to Southeast Asia to respond to an epidemic of smallpox and cholera. The author uses this passage to help the reader focus on
Not: why the CDC was formed.
Look at the graph and read the passage from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. AIDS is growing fastest in the poorest countries of Africa. These nations don't have enough doctors, medical labs, or money for medicine. A recent study showed that only a small percentage of HIV-infected children in Africa are getting any medical treatment at all. What central idea is emphasized in both sources?
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is serious.
How does the organization in "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination" change at the beginning of the section labeled "Edward Jenner"?
Sequential life events of an individual are provided.
How does the information in the video transcript from Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety compare to the text Food Safety Myths Exposed?
Some of the text reinforces the video by providing facts.
Which statement best describes the role of the headings in When Birds Get Flu?
The headings identify important topics in a section.
Which best describes the effect created by pairing the text Food Safety Myths Exposed and the video transcript from Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety?
The viewer gets a deeper understanding of the same topic.
In When Birds Get Flu, which statement best describes the placement of the definitions of vocabulary words the reader may not know?
They are defined as they appear throughout the text.
What is the central idea of Food Safety Myths Exposed?
To avoid food poisoning, prepare food properly.
Which information would most likely be presented in graph form?
a comparison of daily temperatures during June
Read the excerpt from "Edward Jenner and the History of Smallpox and Vaccination." Smallpox was introduced to Europe sometime between the fifth and seventh centuries and was frequently epidemic during the Middle Ages. The disease greatly affected the development of Western civilization. The first stages of the decline of the Roman Empire (AD 108) coincided with a large-scale epidemic: the plague of Antonine, which accounted for the deaths of almost 7 million people. The Arab expansion, the Crusades, and the discovery of the West Indies all contributed to the spread of the disease. The author most supports his argument that smallpox devastated mankind over the centuries by providing
a historical timeline.
Look at this graphic organizer. What would be the best way to help the reader interpret the information in the graphic organizer?
adding a title associating the keywords with the solar system
Look at this timeline from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. This timeline implies that
another outbreak of flu is likely.
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu by John DiConsiglio. The Spanish flu would kill between 40 and 50 million people—more people [than] were killed in the war. This pandemic affected everyone—and spread everywhere. Outbreaks swept through North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Brazil, and the South Pacific. At one point, one-fifth of the entire globe was infected. . . . So where did this killer flu come from? In 2005, researchers at the CDC announced that it had probably started off as a bird flu and then jumped to humans. The author most likely includes this evidence to support the conclusion that
another worldwide flu like the Spanish flu is possible.
Read the passage from Food Safety Myths Exposed. Fact: Actually, rinsing meat, poultry, or seafood with water can increase your chance of food poisoning by splashing juices (and any bacteria they might contain) onto your sink and counters. The best way to cook meat, poultry, or seafood safely is to make sure you cook it to the right temperature. Which phrase from the passage contains the central idea?
best way to cook meat, poultry, or seafood
Read the passage from When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! by John DiConsiglio. The human version of mad cow resembles a rare brain disease called variant Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). It seems to affect mostly young adults. It strikes five or more years after the victim ate bad meat. In every case, the infected person has died. Perhaps the best news about mad cow is that people do not catch it easily. Chances are, millions of people have eaten infected beef. But, for reasons scientists still do not understand, only about 150 people have gotten vCJD and died from it. Which cause-and-effect signal words in the passage point to the result of a problem?
but, for reasons
To interpret the problem and solution in a problem-solution text, the reader should look for words that relate to
cause-and-effect.
The argumentative idea or point of a text is called the _______.
central claim
The purpose of a caption is to
describe an image in a text.
The main reason an author includes evidence in a case study is to help the reader
draw a conclusion from the case study.
Both the video transcript from Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety and the text Food Safety Myths Exposed
explain how to avoid food poisoning from bacteria.
