Revising & Synthesizing

Which sentence is written correctly?

• Dotty saw a flier posted on the bulletin board that announced the date of the band concert

• Posted on the bulletin board, Dotty saw a flier announcing the date of the band concert

Read the directions.

Making mud pies is fun. Find some nice sticky mud. Shape it into little pies. Set the pies in the warm sun to dry.

What type of weather is needed to make mud pies?

• 1. a sunny day

• 2. a rainy day

• 3. a snowy day

• 4. a cloudy day

Read the paragraph.

A hen lays about one egg a day. A chick takes three weeks to be born from an egg. (passage continues)

When do chicks start peeping?

• 1. after one week

• 2. after two weeks

• 3. after three weeks

• 4. after four weeks

Which statement best supports the idea that the Dust Bowl made it difficult for families to survive?

• "With a sigh, she took the milk from Edwin, eyeing the familiar dust that she would try to skim off before serving the milk to her family."

• "Although it was early morning, the dust storm outside made the small farmhouse dark and dismal."

• "He was weary of the dust, too, but he was smiling inside because tomorrow his father was coming home."

• "Edwin swept the house while his mother worked in the yard, rescuing her daffodils from the dust that had drifted against the foundation of the house like gritty snow."

Main Idea is _____________________.

• the beginning, middle, and end of a story.

• what the text is mainly about (topic).

What are key details?

• Evidence from the text that support the main idea.

• Evidence from the text that oppose the main idea.

Synthesis means putting together things to come up with something new.

• True

• False

Read the passages. What do they have in common?

Source 1: The Loch Ness monster must exist. More than 10,000 people claim to have sighted the serpent-like monster. Can 10,000 people all just be imagining things? Sonar studies and expeditions have not been able to prove them wrong!

Source 2: With today's underwater cameras and sonar, it's impossible to believe that the Loch Ness monster exists. We would have found her by now! When scientists with the latest technology cannot find a trace of the monster, we have to conclude that it's all a myth.

• a topic

• a main idea

• an overall message

• a purpose

Reread these two passages. What statement can you make after synthesizing the information?

Source 1: The Loch Ness monster must exist. More than 10,000 people claim to have sighted the serpent-like monster. Can 10,000 people all just be imagining things? Sonar studies and expeditions have not been able to prove them wrong!

Source 2: With today's underwater cameras and sonar, it's impossible to believe that the Loch Ness monster exists. We would have found her by now! When scientists with the latest technology cannot find a trace of the monster, we have to conclude that it's all a myth.

• The Loch Ness monster is absolutely real.

• The existence of the Loch Ness monster is still debated.

• More than 10,000 people have sighted the Loch Ness monster.

• The Loch Ness monster is a myth.

What is one similarity between these two passages?

Passage 1: If you want to become an astronaut, NASA requires that you have a college degree in biology, physical science, engineering, or math. You then must have at least three years of working experience to show that you are responsible. It is helpful to have an advanced degree, too. Teaching experience is valued, so teachers are encouraged to apply to become astronauts.

Passage 2: Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to travel into space. She went to college at Stanford, where she earned a degree in chemical engineering and African-American Studies. While in medical school, and after becoming a doctor, she traveled around the world helping people. After working as a doctor with the Peace Corps, she applied to become a NASA astronaut. In 1987, she was accepted as one of fifteen astronauts—out of 2,000 applicants!

• Both tell how to apply to become an astronaut.

• Both tell you about the lives of astronauts.

• Both tell you something about becoming an astronaut.

• Both tell you about NASA's space program.