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Blue Diamond Assessment 6

Page history last edited by Bill 15 years, 3 months ago

 

Blue Diamond Assessment 6

 

Blue Diamond Assessment 1 requires students to:

 

  1. Determine the effect of beginning passages with provocative quotes.
  2. Determine the sequence of events in a passage.
  3. Infer character traits by reading a passage.
  4. Determine the significance of individual decisions in a text.
  5. Work through analogies that are based on text selections.
  6. Identify simple events from a text selection.
  7. Use context clues to determine the meaning of new vocabulary.
  8. Determine the main idea of selections.
  9. Draw conclusions/make inferences based on text.
  10. Identify the true meaning of word play.

 


 

BD 6 Archived Current Events

 

 

 

 

PHOTOS: Cyanide Millipede, Huge Spider Among New Species

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/photogalleries/greater-mekong-new-species-photos/index.html?source=rss

 

(Ferriter--Dec 18)

 

Reading Skill:  Main Idea/Summarizing

 

An interesting National Geographic In Pictures collection detailing the number of new species being discovered in the Far East in the past few years.  Can be used to talk to students about Biodiversity and the importance of protecting the environment.  Besides, the pictures are just plain cool.

 

Question to Use:

 

What is the main idea of this selection?

 

  1. That cyanide shooting millipedes can be found in Southeast Asia.
  2. That international conservation groups are working to explore the world.
  3. That over 1,000 new species have been found in Southeast Asia in the past 10 years.
  4. That Southeast Asia has many undiscovered and unexplored areas that are home to new animal species.

 

 

 

 

BBC NEWS | In pictures : Brazilians in Ireland, On the wall

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/europe_brazilians_in_ireland/html/1.stm

 

(Ferriter---December 17)

 

Reading Skill: Author's Purpose

 

An interesting current event in pictures detailing the struggles that Brazilian immigrants in Ireland are facing in the current world economic crisis.  Can be used to talk about how residents from developing countries will often travel to developed countries in order to work and send money home to their families.  Can also be used to talk about how the world's economy is linked--and when one country struggles, others are likely to as well.

 

Question to use:

 

What is the effect of beginning this piece with an image of four cold looking men standing against a fence?

 

  1. The readers are given a sense of hope about the future for Brazilian immigrants in Ireland.
  2. The readers realize thta Ireland is a corrupt country that treats immigrants poorly.
  3. The reader learns a bit about the clothing and climate of Ireland.
  4. The reader realizes just how desperate times are for immigrants in Ireland.

 

 

 

Holiday camp with a Nazi past

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7777866.stm

 

(Hutch--Dec. 16)

(Ferriter--Dec. 16)

 

Reading skill: Inference

 

This article deals with an mothballed resort on Germany's Baltic coast that was once a vacation spot for German workers and Nazis.  It has not been used since the reunification of Germany and now developers would like to bring it back to life.  Some are excited about the prospect, others see the resort as a reminder of Germany's Nazi past and want to keep it unused.

 

Question:

 

Based on the selection what can you infer about the pre-war Nazis?

 

  1. They only cared about having a good time and going on vacation.
  2. They were clever about finding ways to spread their ideals and to get people to follow them.
  3. They thought vacation spots like this would be good money makers for the country.
  4. They thought building huge hotels was a good idea becasue they could always use the hotel rooms to house army troops.

 

 

Monaco drops bid to expand land

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7774552.stm

 

(Hutch--December 15)

(Ferriter---December 15)

 

Reading skill: Inference

 

This current event deals with a plan the country of Monaco had to increase their square footage by building a huge artificial peninsula that would have been the size of 20 football pitches, packed with housing, shops and tourist facilities.  The plan is now on hold while the nation conducts more research on the environmental impact and waits out the current credit crunch.

 

Question:

 

What is most likely the significance of Prince Rainer's decision to abandon Monaco's plan to build a huge artifical peninsula?

 

  1. Prince Rainer will continue to grow wealthier by keeping the extra money from this project for himself. 
  2. Monaco will no longer be a place that tourists want to travel to. 
  3. Monaco will lose out on the opportunity to build extra shops, homes and buildings. 
  4. The world community will see Prince Rainer as a failure and Monaco will be embarrassed.

 

 

 

Cool Brown Dwarf Found Near Earth

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0323_060323_brown_dwarf.html

 

(Ferriter--December 11)

 

Reading Skill:  Inference

 

This current event---which is from 2006---describes the discovery of a Brown Dwarf (a massive body of gas larger than Jupiter) that is the third closest Brown Dwarf to the Earth.  What makes that interesting is that it is 12.7 light years away!  This current event can be used to talk about electromagnetic energy---which is the only type of energy that can travel without a medium like water or air.  Instead, electromagnetic energy can travel through the vaccum of space.  It can also be used to talk about the sheer distances in space.  Considering that light travels at a speed of 190,000 miles per SECOND, something that is 12.7 light years away is at an incredible distance.

 

Question to use:

 

Based on this selection, what can you infer about the size of our solar system?

 

  1. Our solar system is a relatively large body that would require days to travel through.
  2. Our solar system is a relatively small body that will probably be fully explored during our lifetime.
  3. Our solar system is an incredibly large body that we will probably never be able to fully explore.
  4. Our solar system is an incredibly large body, but with determination, we can certainly explore it all. 

 

 

 

Pacific World War II Wrecks Pose Risk of Toxic Leaks 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081210-pacific-shipwrecks-missions.html

 

(Ferriter/Hutchinson--December 12)

 

Reading Skill:  Main Idea, Inference

 

This article talks about the environmental risk sunken WW II ships pose to the south Pacific.  Currently, there are almost 1,000 ships---many with large quantities of fuel and oil---still sitting on the bottom of the ocen here.  Because all of them were sunk at nearly the same time, all of them are likely to start leaking at approximately the same time as well.  This could cause a huge environmental disaster. 

 

Hutchinson will use the photo gallery to run through the article.

 

Questions to use:

 

What is one of the main problems that environmental groups face in trying to get these shipwrecks off of the ocean floor?

 

  1. The job will cost too much money to be possible.
  2. There is likely to be unexploded bombs that might endanger workers rescuing ships.
  3. The countries that own the ships want the ships handled with great care because they are also the graves of soldiers who fought in World War II.
  4. Environmental groups are worried that moving the ships will ruin the ecosystem and believe that the ships are better off left where they currently sit. 

 

 Why is the strait near the Solomon Islands known as Iron Bottom Sound?

 

  1. That is what the European explorers called it.
  2. So many ships were sunk there during the battle of Guadalcanel.
  3. So many underwater bombs were launched there.
  4. To remember all the young sailors that lost their lives there.

 

euronews | Mass arrests after 4 nights of rioting in Greece

http://www.euronews.net/en/article/10/12/2008/mass-arrests-after-4-nights-of-rioting-in-greece

 

(Ferriter---Dec. 10)

 

Major riots continue in Greece, beginning early in the week after police shot and killed a 15 year old boy who was believed to have thrown rocks at a police car.  The riots---the most violent in Greece in 25 years---are really not about the boy, however.  Instead, they're an expression of the people's frustration with the government.  This current event can be used to talk about the range of approaches people take to express frustration with their governments. 

 

Question to use:

 

What is the effect of beginning this selection with the sentence, "Amid the whiff of teargas, flares from Molotov cocktails and the rattle of rocks hurled at police, Greece is witnessing the worst rioting it has seen in a quarter of a century."

 

  1. Readers understand just how dangerous the situation in Greece really is. 
  2. Readers are given background information that they need in order to understand why the riots started.
  3. The author wanted readers to feel sorry for the police.
  4. The author wanted to readers to understand that the Greek people are a violent people. 

 

 

 

Loyalists 'behind blast bombs'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7761981.stm

 

This article details a crude bomb that was discovered in a BMX park in southern Belfast.  The police believe the bomb was placed by a loyalist group, and luckily nobody was hurt.  The park is just south of Falls Road a key area of Catholic Republican Belfast.

 

Question to use:

 

Based on the selection, what can you infer about the placement of this crude bomb?

 

  1. The people who left it wanted to strike fear into the hearts of folks loyal to the Queen.
  2. The people who left it want Ireland out of the European Union.
  3. The people who left it wanted to scare the families in a Catholic area of Belfast.
  4. The people who left it were probably kids, just messing around with explosives.

 

Based on the context of the following,The police said that the devices, while crude, were "viable" and could have "killed or caused serious injury". what is the best definition of viable?

 

  1. broken
  2. workable
  3. terrorist
  4. stupid

 

 

 

BBC NEWS |  EU wants end to old-style bulbs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7772412.stm

 

(Ferriter---December 9)

 

In this current event, European Union member nations are talking about banning old style lightbulbs completely by the year 2012 in an attempt to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.  It can be used to talk about two things:  The EU's emphasis on social responsibility and protecting the environment as well as the Law of Conservation of Energy---a science objective---by asking students to explain what kinds of energy are created in the process of producing light. 

 

Question to use:

 

What is one of the main problems that the EU will face in trying to ban old fashioned lightbulbs in member nations?

 

  1. New bulbs are more expensive, so citizens won't be willing to purchase them.
  2. Companies that make lightbulbs need time to adapt to making the new style bulb. 
  3. The EU doesn't have the technology to design newer and more efficient lightbulbs.
  4. Member nations will save about $12bn by moving to new lightbulbs. 

 

 

 

BBC NEWS |  'Solar taxi' goes round the world

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7766249.stm

 

(Ferriter--Dec. 8)

 

In this current event, a Swiss teacher has developed a solar car that he drove around the world in an attempt to prove that solar powered vehicles can be a reliable option for car manufacturers and for regular citizens.  It can be used to emphasize the efforts being taken by the world community to find alternatives to fossil fuels.

 

Question to use:

 

What is one of the main problems that Mr. Palmer will face in trying to convince ordinary citizens that solar powered cars are a good option for everyday travel?

 

  1. Saudi Arabia wasn't excited about solar powered cars because of its dependence on oil sales.
  2. Mr. Palmer's car broke down twice during his trip. 
  3. The car that Mr. Palmer made cost the same price as two Ferraris to build.
  4. Solar power cars still need other ways to run in countries that don't get much sun or during the night. 

 

 

 

Wounded Iceman Made Epic Final Journey, Moss Shows

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081204-iceman-moss.html

 

(Ferriter--December 5)

 

This current event documents the studies that archaeologists are doing on Oetzi, an ice mummy that is over 4,000 years old and was found in the Alps mountains.  It can be used to teach children about the different ways that archaeologists use primary sources to learn more about a time period.  It can also be used to talk to children about inferences---or guesses based on evidence. 

 

Question to use:

 

What evidence first convinced scientists that Oetzi was in good physical shape?

 

  1. The moss that he was eating wasn't nutritious, but he was physically strong anyway.
  2. He had several wounds that would have killed an ordinary man.
  3. He was carrying a form of Alpine goat with him when he died.
  4. In his last days, he travelled a distance of at least 37 miles through the mountains. 

 

 

 

BBC NEWS | Europe | Berlin's zoo may lose bear Knut

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7762252.stm

 

(Ferriter--December 3)

 

The warm feeling surrounding Germany's celebrity polar bear Knut is turning icy ahead of his second birthday on Friday - because Berlin may lose him.  This current event can be used to emphasize place as a theme of geography, because the love for Knut in Berlin is something that makes it unique.  Any physical or cultural characteristics that identify a location fall under the definition of place.

 

Question to use:

 

What is one of the main problems that Berlin is facing in its attempts to keep Knut at its zoo?

 

  1. Knut was promised to another zoo in the deal that brought his father to Berlin to begin with.
  2. Knut was borrowed from another zoo for a short term, and the original zoo wants him back.
  3. Knut has outgrown his cage and the Berlin zoo can't care for him anymore.
  4. The Berlin zoo can't afford to care for Knut anymore and needs to either raise funds or let him go. 

 

 

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