William Kamkwamba

What are the main ideas of the text?

• William Kamkwamba read about windmills in a book from the village library. He was so interested in windmills that he searched for more books about them.

• William Kamkwamba realized that his village would benefit from having electricity. He researched windmills and found that many countries used them to provide power for homes.

• William Kamkwamba learned about the usefulness of windmills and decided to build one. He successfully built a windmill in his village and was able to use it to power a light bulb.

• William Kamkwamba enjoyed learning about how different machines and electronics work. He studied a working windmill in his village to see if he could build one himself.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

Which quotation supports the inference that William Kamkwamba was inventive when faced with a problem?

• “When he had collected all the parts, William laid them outside in the shade of an acacia tree and began putting them together.” (paragraph 8)

• “Since he did not have a drill to make bolt holes, he pushed a nail through a maize cob, heated it in the fire, then pushed its point through the plastic blades.” (paragraph 8)

• “From the top of the tower he explained that, by using the power of wind, his machine could create electricity. No one believed him.” (paragraph 10)

• “As the wind whipped around him, he removed the bent spoke he’d jammed into the wheel to lock it. Then he held his breath.” (paragraph 11)

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.W.5.9A

Where did William Kamkwamba find the parts to build his windmill?

• high school

• junkyard

• library

• local market

Part A.

What does irrigate mean as it is used in paragraph 6?

• supply water to a crop

• save water for a later time

• plant a crop more quickly

• light up an area at night

Tags

CCSS.L.5.4A

CCSS.RI.5.4

Part B.

Which phrase from paragraph 6 best supports the answer to Part A?

• “…his family could have lights…”

• “…family’s maize fields.”

• “…another drought came…”

• “…provide the water for life.”

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.W.5.9A

Why was creating electricity important to William Kamkwamba?

• He thought it would help provide light after dark.

• He thought it could be used to cool homes on hot days.

• He wanted the library to have lights for reading.

• He wanted to be able to plant maize more quickly.

Which two quotations support the author’s point that William Kamkwamba was curious?

• “One day, turning a bicycle upside down and cranking the pedals by hand, he figured out that the dynamo that generated electricity for the headlight could be wired to power a radio instead.” (paragraph 3)

• “Some days, William visited the village library. It had only three shelves, but William found books that interested him—science books about how things worked.” (paragraph 4)

• “On the book’s cover was a picture of a row of windmills, tall steel towers with blades spinning like giant fans. They reminded William of the toy pinwheels he’d made with his friends.” (paragraph 5)

• “Shoppers, farmers, and traders could see William’s tower from the local market. They came in a long line to find out what the boy was up to.” (paragraph 9)

• “William knew this was his moment—his moment to show everyone he wasn’t crazy, to find out if his experiment would work.” (paragraph 11)

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.W.5.9A

How does the text structure used in “Winds of Hope” compare to the text structure used in “Building Windmills by Candlelight”?

• Both texts use cause and effect to explain the ways that William Kamkwamba chose to help people after building his first windmill.

• Both texts use chronological order to describe the life experiences William Kamkwamba had around the creation of his first windmill.

• Both texts use compare and contrast to explain the similarities and differences between the first windmill that William Kamkwamba built and others he built later.

• Both texts use problem and solution to describe the difficulties that William Kamkwamba faced when the windmill he built required special tools he did not have.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

How does the information in “Building Windmills by Candlelight” add to the information in “Winds of Hope”?

• “Building Windmills by Candlelight” gives reasons for why so few people in rural Malawi have electricity.

• “Building Windmills by Candlelight” introduces the idea that windmills could be used for more than just providing electricity.

• “Building Windmills by Candlelight” explains the impact that William Kamkwamba made on the lives of others after creating his first windmill.

• “Building Windmills by Candlelight” describes why William Kamkwamba wanted to write his book and share his experiences with others.

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CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.3

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.5.8

CCSS.RI.5.9

Which choice best explains how “Winds of Hope” and “Building Windmills by Candlelight” differ in the points of view they represent?

• “Winds of Hope” provides reasons for why William Kamkwamba wanted to use a windmill to create electricity, but “Building Windmills by Candlelight” provides direct quotes with William Kamkwamba’s own words about why his first windmill was difficult to build.

• “Winds of Hope” provides quotes from William Kamkwamba about his experience building his first windmill, but “Building Windmills by Candlelight” provides details about how William Kamkwamba’s experiences helped him improve windmills for others.

• “Winds of Hope” provides general information about the materials William Kamkwamba used to build a windmill, but “Building Windmills by Candlelight” provides specific details about how William Kamkwamba’s windmill created electricity.

• “Winds of Hope” provides details about how William Kamkwamba got the idea for and then built his first windmill, but “Building Windmills by Candlelight” provides details about what happened in William Kamkwamba’s life after he built his first windmill.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.6

CCSS.RL.5.6