My dog Jack is very friendly, and he likes to be around people. Yesterday, our neighbors were having a party, and we all went over to cookout and swim at their house. We could hear Jack barking loudly from our backyard. After a little while, he got quiet, so we thought he had finally calmed down. But, several minutes later, all of the adults start laughing, and I see a black blur and hear a giant splash at the other end of the pool. Why was Jack barking?

As we entered, a huge blast of water hit the windshield. Huge flopping sponges slapped the hood of the car as we slowly moved forward. Soon there were suds spilling over the sides. I am glad the windows were rolled up! Where are we?

I have a head and a tail. My favorite number is one. I am made of copper. I am lucky if you pick me up. What am I?

Every day after work Paul took his muddy boots off on the steps of the front porch. Alice would have a fit if the boots made it so far as the welcome mat. He then took off his dusty overalls and threw them into a plastic garbage bag; Alice left a new garbage bag tied to the porch railing for him every morning. On his way in the house, he dropped the garbage bag off at the washing machine and went straight up the stairs to the shower as he was instructed. He would eat dinner with her after he was “presentable,” as Alice had often said. What type of job did Paul have?

Brittany's mom walks into the kitchen wearing her sun hat and a pair of old shoes. “Those vegetable plants are growing by leaps and bounds!” she exclaims to Brittany, as she takes off a dirty glove and wipes a smudge of dirt off her face. Where was Brittany's mom?

Maggie was getting ready to walk to school. She put on her coat and grabbed her backpack. As she was leaving, her mother said, “I love you. Be careful.” What can you infer about Maggie?

What is a summary?

What can you summarize?

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
There are five teams of students in the fifth grade. The blue team has math first period, and the red team has science. The yellow team gets to go outside early in the morning, while the green team goes to music. Only students on the orange team get to play games first period. Each student wears a nametag with his or her color, so that the teachers and students all know where a student should be.

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
The Elk River flows from the far northern part of the state all the way to the southern tip. All kinds of animals rely on it for drinking water, people eat the fish they catch in it, and farmers in the state depend on it for irrigating their crops. Since there is very little rain in this state, the Elk River gives animals and humans the water they need to stay alive. Even though the river is not nearly the biggest in the nation, it is very important to the people and animals that live near it.

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
As soon as she arrived at grandmother's house, Jessica ran into her bedroom to look at the blue quilt. It covered her grandmother's bed and was Jessica's favorite. It had patches of dark blue, medium blue, and light blue, with pictures of birds and flowers on every other patch. Jessica liked to take naps with the quilt wrapped around her. She loved the way it felt so soft and warm against her skin. Whenever she was visiting grandma, just looking at the quilt made Jessica happy.

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
Books lay in the middle of his floor. Several broken toys were shoved halfway under the bed, and dirty clothes were everywhere. Frank's parents kept telling him to clean his room, but it never seemed to get clean. In fact, if Frank did manage to clean part of it, the rest of the room just got messier. In one corner of the room was an old peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and an open bag of potato chips was thrown on the dresser.

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
Math didn't make much sense to Cathy. She always got area and perimeter mixed up and she had no idea what a right angle was. Last quarter she failed math, and this quarter wasn't any better. As long as she could remember, math had been hard for Cathy. She did fine in reading and science, but not math. Now she was working on her math homework, but she didn't know how to do most of it. Who invented math, anyway!

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
Jose carefully poured out the bag of marbles on his bed. He picked his ten favorite marbles and carefully set them to the side. Then he got out a small bag from his top drawer, and put the ten marbles inside. Just to make sure he wouldn't forget them, he placed the bag of marbles in his backpack. Jose loved show and tell, and he was excited that he would get to show his class some of his favorite marbles.

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
"Are you already done, son?" his father asked. "It seems like you just got in the water." Jacob was finished with his bath in less than two minutes. He got his body and hair wet, rubbed some grape flavored shampoo on his hair, washed his body with soap, and quickly rinsed it off. He liked to take fast baths so he would have more time to play. In fact, Jacob never took a long bath. To him, the faster the bath, the better.

Read the following passage and then answer the question.
Lisa knew all of the seven dwarfs except one. She remembered Grumpy, Sleepy and Bashful. And of course she couldn't forget Doc and Dopey. Dopey was her favorite. But there was one she just could not remember. Let's see. There's also Sneezy, and that's six. But she could not remember that last one. What was his name?

What strategy do you use to summarize FICTION?

For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls. And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was really going to look awesome.
 The Summary of this passage is:

It started when they got to the bears. Peter felt tired and his stomach hurt. He dragged himself over to see the elephants, which were eating from a stack of hay. Normally, the elephants were his favorite. Without much interest, Peter followed his classmates to the camels, which were busy swatting flies with their tails. Peter knew he should be having fun at the zoo, but he just felt terrible and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest. Even the lions and tigers did not interest him now. 
The Summary of this passage is:

Julie watched the ants as they carried small crumbs down the trail to the anthill. She thinks ants are very hard working and industrious little creatures. They always seemed busy, and you never saw an ant just laying around doing nothing. They were carrying food, building tunnels, or defending the anthill. One thing you could say about ants is that they sure aren't lazy.
The Summary of this passage is:
 

What method do you use when you summarize NONFICTION?

What method do you use to summarize FICTION?

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.
Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

"I hate the idea of having all those people out there watching me...I just don't like it when I'm around so many people. I wish I just could hide somewhere," whispered Violet.
What can you infer about Violet?

Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

Mary has a new pet.  Her pet is a baby kitten.  It is soft and cuddly.  The kitten likes to sleep a lot.  Mary put a soft blanket in a box for its bed.  Mary plays with her kitten when it is awake.  She never forgets to feed her kitten.
What is the main idea?

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.  Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball.  They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.  Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.
What is the main idea?

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind! Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier.
What is this selection mainly about?

Jenny visited her grandmother in the hospital.  She saw how kind and helpful the nurses were to her grandmother.  Now she wants to be a nurse when she grows up.  She wants to help sick people get well. 
What is the main idea?

Yesterday was my birthday. When I woke up, I noticed my brother Josh hung up a big sign that said,"Happy Birthday, Charles!" Mom made spaghetti for dinner.
It's my favorite food in the whole world. My friend Dave came over and handed me a wrapped gift. I wondered what it was. It was a new basketball! I had a great day.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?

Carson's older sister, Madison, is a very good student. She isn't satisfied to just get by in school. She is involved in extra activities at school, including the school's music program and the math club. She also always tries to answer the teacher's questions in class.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!
What is the main idea?

Floods can cause tremendous damage.  They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind.  It can take months to clean up after a flood.
 What is the main idea?

Which sentence gives you the best clue about the main idea of this paragraph?
Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people. Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people. Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms. Ladybugs eat other insects that eat crops. Farmers want the crops to grow. Some spiders also eat bugs that eat plants. Another bug that helps people is the honeybee. They don't eat plant-eating bugs. But bees pollinate flowers so that they grow. They also make honey, a natural sugar that many people love to eat.

The main idea of a book is "plants need sunlight to grow." Which of these is a detail that supports the main idea?

Descriptions of people, places or things that support the main idea are called ________.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this paragraph?
You might not know what a mascot is, but you've probably seen one. Some mascots are for products. Tony the Tiger is an example. He sells cereal. Schools also have mascots. Baseball teams, hockey teams and other sports teams have mascots. A mascot helps get the crowd involved. They entertain the crowd when the players are not playing. Mascots are fun!

What is the subject of this paragraph?
I've known Lauren my whole life. But before third grade I never talked to her. Lauren got on the bus at the stop after mine. I sometimes caught her eye as she passed by my seat. She sat in the back with her friends. She sometimes nodded. She never said hello. That is, until the day she got crutches. Getting to the back of the bus was a problem with crutches. So Lauren sat with me. We started talking. And we have been friends ever since.

The Postage Stamp
    Do you know where the idea for postage stamps came from?  In 1840, Great Britain created the first postage stamps, an idea thought up by a man named Sir Rowland Hill.  This stamps had the head of Queen Victoria printed on them and were called "Penny Blacks."  Before postage stamps were made, people took letters to the post office and just paid a fee to have them sent.  The postmaster would collect the money and write "paid" on the letters. The new stamps allowed people to mail their letters from public mailboxes that the British government set up all over the country.  They no longer had to make a special trip to the post office every time they wanted to mail a letter.  Today, every country in the world has its own stamps, with the country's name printed on them.  Great Britain is the only country that does not print its name on its stamps!
Great Britain is the only country that does not print ____________ on its stamps.

Beautiful Butterflies
     Have you ever just watched a butterfly float around, its wings gracefully fluttering?  The butterfly's beauty and amazing transformation seem to capture our imagination and make us wonder at this amazing little insect.  A butterfly begins its life cycle as a caterpillar, a long, worm-like creature covered with tiny, spine-like hairs and a patter of stripes of patches.  The caterpillar sheds its skin four or more times before creating a cocoon around itself.  During this stage, we call the creature a chrysalis.  Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar's body tissues break down and new parts are formed. Finally, the transformation is complete, and a beautiful butterfly comes out! The adult butterfly finds a mate and lays eggs on leaves and stems. Often, the butterfly migrates, or travels to a new location, to lay its eggs.  This little eggs will soon hatch, and new little caterpillars will begin the cycle again.
What happens inside the cocoon?

What do you call a word that has the opposite meaning of another word? 

They were ecstatic at the birth of their baby. They couldn't stop smiling for days. 

Based on the context clues in the sentence, ecstatic means:

Many Northern birds migrate for the winter.  They return in the spring.

Based on context clues in the passage, migrate means _____________.

"The performers diverted the guests with a variety of jokes and songs." What's an antonym for "diverted?"

____ is what you already know about something, which can be applied to what you read.

The lost campers sweltered in the heat of the desert sun.

"The judge issued an injunction that ordered the accused criminal to remain under house arrest." what is the best synonym for "injunction?"

"While the people of Guilder were forced to read propaganda, the citizens of Florin were able to read honest, fact-based news reporting." In this example, the word "propaganda" can be defined through:

What is the definition of the highlighted word?
Unlike my frugal mother, I don't bother shopping at sales or clipping coupons.  

The thought of eating a rat is abhorrent to most people.

What is the closest synonym for "context?"

Four strong people had to work together to move the massive table. What is a synonym for massive?

The students were in a panic when the fire alarm sounded. What is an antonym for panic?

Other potential causes are stresses, such as poor environmental conditions or lack of proper nutrition. What clue word means almost the same as potential?

Based on context clues in the passage below, migrate means _____________.

Many Northern birds migrate for the winter.  They return in the spring.

What does the word PREPARED mean in the sentence below? Chandler prepared brownies for Ms.Pate's class.  

What is a context clue?

Cherrymars's mother was IRATE because she talked back to her and had a bad attitude all day long.
Based on the sentence above, IRATE probably means what?

Tyler PREDICTED his results for his fantasy football team would win. What does the word PREDICTED mean?

Our new alarm system will wake up the entire neighborhood if an intruder gets in the house.
An intruder is someone who intrudes. To INTRUDE is to

We thought that Mrs. Kerner would be very DISTRAUGHT when told that Antonio broke Ms.Pate's pointer; however, she took the news very calmly. What does the word DISTRAUGHT mean?
.

Tristin couldn’t see the school building; it was SHROUDED by smoke and dust.” What does the word SHROUDED mean?

"I am as hungry as a bear!" The kind of figurative language used here is _______ 

"Time flies by!" The kind of figurative language used here is _______ 

"The raindrops danced on the tabletop." The kind of figurative language used here is _______ 

A comparison between 2 unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'

"The last day of school is like a day at the beach - easy and relaxing." The kind of figurative language used here is _______ 

What's the meaning of this simile?
"My mom can be as fiery as a volcano when I don't do my chores on time."

What's the meaning of this metaphor?
"After all the fans left the stadium, the bleachers were a disaster area."

What's the meaning of this personification?
"The camera loves me!"

The car is a dinosaur so we better buy a new one.

I was so tired after school, I slept for a month! 

Polly Peters positively played Ping-Pong.

“Crack” went the bat as the pitcher hit a home run.

The water was a glove that enveloped the swimmer’s body.

The firework exploded in the air, making a big BOOM! in the air, is an example of 

What is an example of an alliteration?

Onomatopoeia is...

He was a car speeding through the streets is an example of...

He was as cool as a cucumber is an example of a(n)

I am dying of shame is an example of...

The snowballs were bullets, punching me in the chest, is an example of...

What is a metaphor?

The water well is as dry as a bone is an example of a(n)...

What is personification

What is a simile? 

The assignment was a breeze is an example of a(n)...

All are found in poetry except...

What structure is poetry written in?

THE MEssage about life that the poem or story tells
Ex: friendship, bravery, courage

A grouped set of lines in a poem, set apart from others with a space. This is like the paragraph of poetry

What is writing or speech that is  not meant to be taken literally?

Imagery appeals to the ______________.