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Family Times

Daily Questions

Prior Knowledge

Main Idea and Detail

Vocabulary

Greek and Latin Roots

Preview and Predict

Guided Comprehension

Fact and Opinion

Illustrator's Craft

Independent Readers

Humans With Wings

Additional Resources

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Study Skills:

Genre: BiographyVocabulary Strategy: Word StructureComprehension Skill: Main IdeaComprehension Strategy: Summarize

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Question of the Week:How do artists inspire future generations?

Daily Questions:

Why was da Vinci so driven to build the bronze horse?

Why do you think so many people wanted to see da Vinci’s horse completed?

How do early attempts at flight continue to affect our lives today?

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Activate Prior Knowledge

K W L

Leonardo da Vinci

He painted the Mona Lisa.

He is a famous scientist.

What is Leonardo’s Horse?

What other things did Leonard invent?

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Main Idea and Details:

• The main idea is the most important idea about a topic. Details are small pieces of information that tell more about the maid idea.

• Sometimes the author states the main idea of a paragraph or an entire article in a single sentence at the beginning, middle, or end. Other times the author leaves the main idea unstated, so readers must put it into their own words.

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Main Idea

DetailDetail Detail

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Summarize:

Active readers summarize to help them understand the most important information they read. Summarizing can help you find the main idea of a selection. Writing a summary can help you organize the information.

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Write:

1. Read “Bronze.” Make a graphic organizer like the one above to show the main idea and the details that support it.

2. Use information from your graphic organizer to help you write a summary of “Bronze.”

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Word Know Have Seen Don’t Know

achieved

architect

bronze

cannon

depressed

fashioned

midst

philosopher

rival

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AchievedCarried out to a successful end

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Architect:

Person who designs and makes plans for buildings.

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Bronze:

A dark yellow-brown alloy of copper and tin.

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Cannon:

A big gun, especially one mounted on a base or wheels

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Depressed:

Gloomy; sad

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Fashioned:

Made, shaped, or formed.

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Midst

In the middle of

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Philosopher

A person who attempts to discover.

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Rival

A person who wants and tries to get the same thing as another or one who tries to equal or do better that another; competitor

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More Words to Know

Rebirth: A new birth; being born again

Renaissance: The great revival of art and learning in Europe during the 1300-1500s

Togas: loose, outer garments worn in public by citizens of ancient Rome

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Practice Lesson Vocabulary:

True/False

An architect studies the stars.

A philosopher loves to think and ask questions.

Achieved means to have been disappointed about something.

Respond to the questions:

What would be more valuable: a bronze or a clay horse?

Who was Leonardo’s rival?

Why was Leonardo depressed?

In warfare, would a bridge or a cannon be more useful?

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Vocabulary Strategy

Greek and Latin Roots: bio-, philo-, and arch-

Many words in English are based on Greek and Latin roots. For example, bio- means “life.” It is found in words such as biography and biology. When you see a longer word you cannot read, look for a root that can help you figure out the word’s meaning.1. Look at the unfamiliar word. Try to identify a root word within it.2. Think of words you know where this same root appears.3. What does the root mean in these words?4. Try the meaning in the unfamiliar word and see if it makes sense in the

sentence.

As you read “The Called It the Renaissance, “ look for Greek and Latin roots to help you figure out the meanings of unknown words. (Hint: The Greek root arch-means “chief, ruler.” The Greek root philo- means “loving.”)

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Genre: Biography

A biography is a story of a person’s life written by another person. As you read, notice all the ups and downs in Leonardo da Vinci’s life.

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Will Leonardo’s greatest dream ever

come true?

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Preview and Predict

Preview the selection title and illustrations and identify the subject of this biography. Use your selection vocabulary to talk about what you expect to learn.

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Guided Comprehension:

What is the main idea of p. 295? Name one detail that supports the main idea.

How would you characterize the young Leonardo da Vinci?

Why do you think the author tells you that da Vinci was different from other boys his age?

The Greek root astro in the word astronomer means “star.” What does and astronomer do?

Look at the illustrations on pp. 298-299. How do they support the main idea of the text?

Tell the main idea of paragraph 2 on p. 298.

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Guided Comprehension Continued:

In the first paragraph on p.300, the author makes statements of fact and opinion about Leonardo da Vinci. Name a statement that expresses an opinion.

Why did Leonardo study real horses and statues of horses?

Why do you think the duke wanted the bronze horse to be three times larger than life?

Summarize what you have learned so far about Leonard da Vinci.

Think about the society in which Leonardo da Vinci lived. In what ways is our society today similar or different?

What is the meaning of the word invade on p. 304?

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Guided Comprehension Continued:

Do you think Leonardo will continue working on his horse?

Michelangelo taunted Leonardo for not finishing the bronze horse. Why do yo think he might have done that?

What is the maid idea of p. 306?

The text on p. 308 is set in italics and commonly referred to as an afterword, Why do you think the author included this information?

Describe a time that, like Leonardo da Vinci, you were disappointed for being unable to accomplish something that was important to you.

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Fact and Opinion• A statement that can be proved true is a fact. A

statement that cannot be proved true is an opinion.

• Readers often have to decide which part of a statement states a fact and which states an opinion.

Does the statement on p.301 “you couldn’t show all the muscles on a statue… or the horse would look like a bag of turnips.” express a fact or an opinion.

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Illustrator’s Craft

Art often plays an important role in literature. In non-fiction selections, it can help enhance students’ understanding of the selection. • Illustrations can reinforce or complement text.• Illustrations can capture the mood of an historical event.

Identify details in the illustration on pp.298-299 that complement the text. Have students tell how the illustrations help them better understand the text.

Answer the following questions:1. What details does the illustration on pp. 302-303 show?2. How does the illustration capture the mood of Leonardo’s unveiling of

his model of the horse?3. Using the information from the illustration, describe what you think it

would have been like to be there that day.

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SUMMARY Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, and Donatello had a major influence on the style of art in the Italian Renaissance period. They focused their art on humanism, depicting emotions and scenes from everyday life.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONSPAGE 7 What is the main idea of the last paragraph? PAGE 13 How long did it take Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel?

PAGE 14 What generalization is made about people during the time Michelangelo lived?

PAGE 20 Summarize the second paragraph.

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SUMMARYLeonardo da Vinci was probably the most famous figure of the Italian Renaissance. He was a great artist, architect, and thinker. He made many contributions to the arts and sciences.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONSPAGE 3 What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

PAGE 9 How do you think da Vinci felt when he was unable to create his statue of the horse? Why?

PAGE 9 Compare and contrast da Vinci’s twosketches of horses.

PAGE 16 Summarize the second paragraph.

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SUMMARY Many modern artists are influenced by techniques and styles of famous artists of the past. They use these techniques, as well as their own styles, in their art. Thesecombined styles make completely new styles of art.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

PAGE 5 What is the main idea of the last paragraph under “The Story of Laocoön”?

PAGE 14 What was Rodin’s most famous sculpture? PAGE 20 Summarize the first paragraph.

PAGE 20 What conclusions can you draw about Pablo Picasso’s cubism?

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Narrative Nonfiction

Some narrative nonfiction explains the history of something.

Sometimes this history shows how one invention led to another.

Some narrative nonfiction uses a time line to help organize events in history.

Usually, events are presented in time order, from first to last.

Take a look at the illustrations and time line to see what this article is about.

How does the time line help you understand the organization of the information?

How do the illustrations aid in your understanding of the text?

How can you figure out the main ideas in this article?

What does the article tell you about attempts to fly?

Look back at Leonardo’s Horse and “Humans with Wings” and make a list of Triumphs and a list of Tragedies.

Use you lists to write a paragraph about either the joy or the pain of being an inventor.

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Additional Resources