Communication

What is the main theme of this passage?

• Honesty is the best policy.

• Never give up.

• Be open to new experiences.

• Be a friend to nature.

Read the following sentences from the passage.

John was lonely and bored. Why did his parents have to drag him all the way across the ocean from a perfectly good home in England to live in this wilderness?

What do the words "drag him all the way" most likely mean?

• John moved to the new settlement unwillingly.

• John was so heavy that his parents had to pull him across the ocean.

• John floated across the ocean to the new settlement.

• The current in the ocean pushed John all the way to the new settlement.

Who is the narrator of this passage?

• John's mother

• a narrator who knows John's thoughts and feelings

• the Native American boy

• John's father

How would this story have been different if Squanto had narrated it from his point of view? Choose the TWO best answers from the choices below.

• The reader would learn John's father's thoughts and feelings about Squanto.

• The narrator would include the reasons why John's parents had decided to move from England to the Plymouth colony.

• The reader would learn the thoughts and feelings of the Pilgrims.

• The narrator would include the words spoken between Squanto, the older Native American, and John's father.

• The reader would learn Squanto's thoughts and feelings about introducing the two boys.

Read the following sentence from the passage.

There were not many children at the settlement, and the few that were around were either too young or too old for him to have fun with, too silly or too serious for his taste.

Using what you know about suffixes and root words, what does the word "settlement" mean?

• a home for young children

• the process of making new friends

• the act of sailing across the ocean

• a newly established place

Imagine you are leading a small group discussion about this passage. Which TWO questions would be the best to ask to ensure that all the group members understood the passage?

• What was John's mood throughout most of the passage?

• Why did the Pilgrims plant corn and pumpkins?

• Why did the Native American boy whisper something to the older Native American?

• Was the older Native American the Native American boy's grandfather?

• Why did half the Pilgrims die during their first winter at Plymouth?

Imagine you are the author of this passage and you want to rewrite a section of the passage to include the translated conversation that took place between John's father and the older man. Read the following excerpt from your rough draft.

  (1) "My grandson would like to meet your son, but he is unsure how to introduce himself. (2) He is not sure your son would be interested in racing with him," said the old man.

(3) John's father replied, "I think my son would like for us to introduce them. (4) He has been looking forward to playing with someone his own age. (5) Consequently, he is uncertain about introducing himself, too."

(6) "Excellent! Now I will ask you to take him to your son," said the old man. (7) The old man turned and said to the young boy, "Go with this man and he will introduce you two boys."

Choose TWO transition words or phrases below that would be a more appropriate fit at the beginning of sentence 5.

• In other words

• However

• Then

• For example

• Even so

Imagine you are giving a presentation about this passage. You make the claim that the Pilgrims experienced extreme hardships. Select the TWO pieces of evidence from the passage that best support your claim.

• John was lonely and bored.

• The Pilgrims -- John and his parents and about 100 others -- had landed at Plymouth a few months ago.

• John recalled with sadness their first winter in North America, long and terrible, freezing cold, and without sufficient food.

• About half of them had died.

• He was working in a group of both Pilgrims and Native Americans, who were digging in the earth.

Which research question below is the most open-ended and would likely lead to additional information about what life was like for Pilgrims in America?

• What year did the Pilgrims come to America?

• How did the Pilgrims survive in America? 

• Why did the Pilgrims come to America?

• How many Pilgrims traveled to America?

Which sentence BEST explains the similarities or differences in how John and the Native American boy most likely feel in the story?

• John loves living in America, but the Native American boy doesn't.

• Both John and the Native American boy do not like helping with daily chores.

• The Native American boy isn't interested in having fun, but John is.

• Both John and the Native American boy are bored and hoping to make a new friend.