Elijah McCoy Reading Comprehension Review 1.4

Elijah McCoy Reading Comprehension Review 1.4

Let's Review!

What is the Genre of "All Aboard: Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine?"

• This story is a Biography

• A biography is a story about someone's life.

• We are learning how Elijah worked really hard to become a mechanical engineer and invent the oil cup for steam engine's wheels.

Multiple Choice

What is the genre of Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine?

• Horror

• Biography

• Fantasy

• Hoistorical Fiction

Multiple Choice

What did Elijah want to be when he grew up?

• a pilot

• a baker

• a teacher

• a mechanical engineer

Elijah the Inventor

• Elijah loved fixing and building things

• When his dad's lawn mower would break, he would rush to fix things

• He knew he wanted to go to college to become an engineer

Dream Job

Elijah didn't get his dream job right away. He went to college at age 16 in Scotland. His parents saved all their money.

He could only find a job working as an ashcat because of the color of his skin.

Multiple Choice

Why didn't Elijah get his dream job of being an engineer right away?

• His boss didn't like that he was from Canada.

• His boss thought boys couldn't do the job right.

• His boss didn't think much of him because he was black.

• His boss only wanted to hire food workers.

Elijah Worked as an Ashcat

• They would shovel coal into the firebox.

• It was a dangerous job.

• He was usually covered in soot and cinders.

Multiple Choice

How was Elijah's job as an ash cat hard?

• His clothes were covered in soot and cinders.

• The steam boiled the water.

• The steam worked the machinery.

Another Dangerous Job

They would hire small people or kids to be "grease monkeys." It was not a nice name to call them. His/her job was to climb underneath the steam engine and put oil on the wheels. They would grease the whell so they can move. It was a dangerous job, and some of them got hurt or killed.

Steam Engines

• People would shovel coal into the firebox to heat up the water.

• Water would boil from the fire and create steam to power the train.

• Oil was also dripped onto the train so the wheels could turn and moved.

• When the oil ran out, the train would stop. They would have to put oil on the wheels every 30 minutes.

Multiple Choice

What did a steam engine need to run?

• a battery

• oil and coal in the fire box

• gasoline

• wind

The Real McCoy - Elijah's Oil Can

• Elijah made a design of an oil can so that trains did not have to stop and could keep moving.

• His oil can worked and the train did not have to stop every 30 mins.

• His oil can was such good quality that everyone else tried to copy it.

Multiple Select

Why did Elijah want to invent something to oil the train? Pick two answers.

• He wanted lots of money.

• He knew that oiling the train was dangerous. He didn't want people to climb under the train.

• He wanted the train to keep going and not have to stop.

• His boss was mean and told him to make an oil can.

Poll

What do you think of Elijah's invention of the oil can?

• It was a success, he was able to find a soultion to the train having to stop every 30 minutes.

• It failed miserably, it broke the train, and he was fired from his job.

Open Ended

Why was the job of an "ash cat" and "grease monkey" dangerous. Please write in a complete sentence.