4/26 Extended Friday!

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Slides for Learning

Opinion: "Minecraft" fans sure to dig this

nationwide museum fest

By Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian.com

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Argumentative Text Characteristics

An argumentative text is written to convince an audience.

Claim/Argument

Counter argument

Audience

the idea or position a
writer presents, or
defends.

an opposing view that
goes against the argument

who the text is meant
for

can affect mood and
tone due to different
expectations

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Making Inferences

drawing a conclusion from information presented in the text to uncover deeper meanings,
understand the author’s intent, and make connections within the text.

Read Actively

Identify Clues

Question the Text
Formulate
Inferences

Engage with the text
by highlighting key
information,
unfamiliar terms,
and main ideas.

Look fortextual
clues that provide
hints, suggestions,
or implicit
information.

Ask questions about
what thetext implies
or what's not
explicitly stated.

Based on the clues
and your questions,
makereasonable
inferences.

*Using evidence find specific evidence in the text to back up the inference made.

Steps to Making Inferences

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1 More than eight years after its release, the open-world video game "Minecraft" is still wildly popular. The
beauty of the game is the sweeping creative freedom it gives its players. Every player is given the same
basic array of natural resources. Yet different individuals can come up with totally different ideas about
what to build, what materials to build with and how to expand on their initial idea. Player designs run the
gamut, from massive medieval fortresses to gleaming metal skyscrapers. The only real limit on players is
their imagination.

2 The exploratory ideal of "Minecraft" has its match in Museum Day Live! More than 1,000 distinct
museums across the country will be participating in this annual, nationwide event. It takes place tomorrow,
September 23.

3 This year's Museum Day Live! festivities will be complemented by rich "Minecraft: Education Edition"
resources online. Children and adults alike will be able to draw on the museums they visit to create their
own worlds. They can do so through a series of highly interactive "Minecraft" lesson plans put together by
Smithsonian, the event's founder, and Microsoft.

Multiple Choice

Read the sentence from paragraph 1. 

"The only real limit on players is their imagination."

What does the sentence help the reader to understand?

• The game "Minecraft" has strict rules for players to follow.

• Players of "Minecraft" are unlimited by the amount of resources available.

• Players of "Minecraft" are encouraged to explore their creativity.

•  The game "Minecraft" restricts players' abilities to build freely.

Multiple Select

.How does the information in paragraph 3 support the author’s argument? Select TWO answers.

• By highlighting the popularity of "Minecraft: Education Edition" among children and adults.

• By emphasizing the extensive resources available online for Museum Day Live! participants.

• By demonstrating the integration of museum experiences into the creative world-building of "Minecraft."

• By discussing the variety of museums participating in Museum Day Live!

• By describing the historical significance of the Smithsonian in organizing Museum Day Live!

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4 The game perfectly embodies the imaginative optimism of the Museum Day spirit.
Museums, like the "Minecraft" world, are full of treasures waiting to be discovered. What you
make of those treasures is entirely up to you! Just as digging into bedrock in search of
valuable metals provides a thrill, so does entering a museum knowing you'll emerge with a
more complete understanding of the world around you.

5 "Minecraft'' players place a high value on knowing what things are made of. So does
tinkerer and photographer Todd McLellan. His traveling "Things Come Apart" exhibition is on
view at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia. To produce the images in
the exhibition, McLellan deconstructed everyday mechanical devices. These included
computers, hair dryers, stereos and wristwatches. He laid out their components in a
methodical and aesthetically pleasing way. Then he photographed the whole ensemble. His
work shows visitors the wonder lying beneath seemingly mundane objects.

Multiple Choice

Based on paragraph 4, what can the reader infer about Minecraft and Museums?

• Minecraft and museums are both environments that foster imaginative exploration and discovery.

• Minecraft and museums are both places where one can find valuable metals.

• Minecraft and museums are both locations where visitors are discouraged from interacting with the exhibits.

• Minecraft and museums are both spaces primarily focused on providing entertainment rather than education.

Multiple Choice

Part A. How does the information in paragraph 3 support the author’s argument?

• By highlighting the similarities between exploring museums and exploring the "Minecraft" world.

• By discussing the value of understanding the composition of objects, as emphasized by Todd McLellan's exhibition.

• By emphasizing the thrill of discovering treasures in both museums and the "Minecraft" world.

• By showcasing the methodical and aesthetically pleasing presentation of deconstructed objects in McLellan's exhibition

Multiple Choice

Which sentence supports your answer for Part A?

•  "Museums, like the 'Minecraft' world, are full of treasures waiting to be discovered."

•  "What you make of those treasures is entirely up to you!"

• "Just as digging into bedrock in search of valuable metals provides a thrill, so does entering a museum knowing you'll emerge with a more complete understanding of the world around you."

• "To produce the images in the exhibition, McLellan deconstructed everyday mechanical devices."

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6 Fans of "Minecraft" know that the pickaxe is an invaluable tool for unearthing the secrets of
the natural world. Paleontologists feel the same way! At the Burke Museum in Seattle, a team
of paleontologists will spend Museum Day publicly examining a recently unearthed 65
million-year-old T. rex skeleton. They will focus on its extremely well-preserved 1.5-ton skull.
Dinosaur lovers should take note: This is only the 15th such skull ever excavated worldwide.

7 The progression of technology is a central theme in "Minecraft." Players gradually craft
stronger and stronger equipment for themselves. They build on their past innovations to carry
them into the future. On Museum Day Live!, museum-goers can explore the same idea. They
can see how technology has evolved over time. At the Aviation Museum in College Park,
Maryland, Museum Day guests will delve deep into the history of the helicopter. They will also
get a chance to interact with a revolutionary, new human-powered copter. It was recently
engineered by the University of Maryland's Aerospace Engineering department.

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Open Ended

How does the information in paragraphs 6 and 7 support the author's argument? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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8 In nearby Baltimore, at the B&O Railroad Museum, a refurbished B&O #25 Civil War-era
locomotives will take viewers back to an age of industrial marvels. And at Florida's St. Augustine
Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, a demonstration on the handicraft of ship modeling will illustrate
how naval technologies have improved across time.

9 Understanding the history of a place is important to "Minecraft" players. They must ask
themselves critical questions whenever they reach a new location: Who occupied this space before
me? What human and animal life has shaped this land? How can I build on what has already been
done here in a responsible way? It is with these sorts of thoughts in mind that we should confront
our own histories, as both Americans and citizens of the world. Museum Day will offer many
opportunities to do so.

10 At the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, for instance, visitors will be invited to
look at a carefully chosen collection of painting, sculpture and photography. The artworks were
gathered to tie together more than 150 years of Southern U.S. history.

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Multiple Choice

Part A. What can the reader infer about "Minecraft" players based on 9?

•  They are primarily interested in modern technology.

• They are not concerned with the history of the locations they explore.

• They value understanding the history of the places they visit in the game.

• They are solely focused on building structures without considering their surroundings.

Multiple Choice

Part B. Which sentence supports your answer for Part A?

• "At the B&O Railroad Museum, a refurbished B&O #25 Civil War-era locomotives will take viewers back to an age of industrial marvels."

• "Understanding the history of a place is important to 'Minecraft' players."

• "At the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, visitors will be invited to look at a carefully chosen collection of painting, sculpture, and photography."

• "And at Florida's St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, a demonstration on the handicraft of ship modeling will illustrate how naval technologies have improved across time."

Multiple Select

The way the information in paragraphs 8 through 10 best supports the author’s argument is-

Select TWO answers.

•  By highlighting the significance of historical artifacts and demonstrations in museums.

• By emphasizing the importance of understanding the history of a place, both in virtual and physical realms.

• By discussing the diverse range of activities available on Museum Day.

• By focusing on the role of "Minecraft" players in exploring historical narratives.

• By detailing the process of ship modeling and locomotive refurbishment as examples of historical preservation efforts.__

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11 Honolulu, Hawaii's Pacific Aviation Museum will enlighten both young and old as to the enduring
significance of Pearl Harbor in the national consciousness. The museum will tell the story of the Pacific
campaign of World War II through the medium of period photography.

12 And at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, distant memories of the Revolutionary War will be
brought to life by displays of weapons, uniforms and handwritten letters.

13 Perhaps the most fundamental joy one receives from "Minecraft" is the creation of something beautiful
and original where there was only empty space before. In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the Kemerer Museum
of Decorative Arts will highlight just this sort of achievement. The museum will welcome visitors to view
artworks and artifacts spanning more than 300 years of architecture and design history. The bare beauty
of the items from each time period will provide a unique look at how taste and style have changed both in
and outside America.

14 All in all, anyone who has the explorer's itch celebrated by "Minecraft" will have no shortage of
stimulating options to pick from on Museum Day Live! Just survey the landscape and choose an appealing
location. Then start digging!

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Open Ended

What can the reader conclude from the information throughout paragraphs 11 and 12? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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What’s for Dinner?

(1) It’s a question asked almost daily at my house. (2) One by one, my brothers and I

was dragging into the house after a day of school, sports, and study groups, hungry

and ready to be fed. (3) And more often than not, my mothers’ answer brings a

groan from at least one of us. (4) “Meatloaf, ugh!” my younger brother moans. (5)

“Spaghetti! (6) Not again!” my older brother grumbles. (7) I’m also guilty of being

critical of what Mom puts on the table. (8) One Friday evening, she finally snapped.

(9) As she began serving one of her famous casseroles I have made the mistake of

asking, “didn’t we have this last week?” (10) Mom set the dish down and stared right

into my eyes.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct way to write sentence 2? 

• One by one, my brothers and I was dragging into the house, after a day of school, sports, and study groups, hungry and ready to be fed.

• One by one, my brothers and I were dragging into the house after a day of school, sports, and study groups, hungry and ready to be fed.

• One by one, my brothers and I dragged into the house, after a day of school, sports, and study groups, hungry and ready to be fed.

• One by one, my brothers and I dragged into the house after a day of school, sports, and study groups, hungry and ready to be fed.

Multiple Choice

What is the correct way to write sentence 9? 

• As she began serving one of her famous casseroles, I have made the mistake of asking, “didn’t we have this last week?”

• As she began serving one of her famous casseroles I had made the mistake of asking, “didn’t we have this last week?”

• As she began serving one of her famous casseroles, I made the mistake of asking, “didn’t we have this last week?” 

• As she began serving one of her famous casseroles I made the mistake of asking, “didn’t we have this last week?”

Multiple Select

How does the information in paragraphs 13 and 14 support the author's argument? Select TWO answers.

• By emphasizing the importance of historical artifacts and their role in shaping cultural understanding.

• By highlighting the diversity of museums available for exploration on Museum Day Live.

• By discussing the significance of the Pacific Aviation Museum and the Connecticut Historical Society in preserving wartime and Revolutionary War history, respectively.

• By showcasing the creative potential of "Minecraft" in inspiring the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

• By underscoring the variety of options available to those with an interest in exploration and discovery, aligning with the spirit of "Minecraft."