Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading. Millions of Mummies Nonfiction

Transcription

1 Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading At a Glance Approximate Grade Range: Genre: Nonfiction Topic: How mummies were used Author: Janet J. Kosky Source: Cricket Magazine Special Note: used on G4 MCAS 2000 Nonfiction Difficulty Index: Considerate Challenging Structure: Purpose: Richness: Relationships: Vocabulary: Style: Lexile Measure: 1080L Mummies are dead bodies that were wrapped in cloth and preserved in ancient Egypt. Read this passage to learn about how mummies were made and used. Then answer the questions that follow. by Janet J. Kosky Dr. and Mrs. James Sullivan cordially invite you to witness the unwrapping of a mummy, recently acquired on a tour of Egypt, on Saturday, October 31 at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Refreshments will be served. 1. SOUND LIKE A joke for a Halloween party? Actually, even though this isn t an actual invitation, it isn t too far from reality. During the 1800s, mummy unwrapping became quite popular. All of Europe had heard of the magnificent temples and tombs rediscovered by Napoleon when he invaded Egypt in Later, many people traveled there to see these curiosities for themselves. Some even brought mummies home with them. But many more were shipped to Europe by dealers who specialized in selling mummies, sarcophagi, and other ancient artifacts. Often these treasures were taken without permission from the Egyptian authorities and without respect for the religious beliefs of the dead. 2 Although mummies are considered rare today, at one time there were so many of them, it seemed unlikely that the supply would ever run out. The custom of making mummies in Egypt lasted for over 3,000 years and was practiced not only by the Pharaohs and other members of the royal court, but also by any citizen with enough money to afford it. 3 At times there were so many wrapped bodies that cemeteries couldn t hold them all. Tombs have been discovered where mummies were stacked on top of each other six feet deep. Sometimes people even had to keep a mummy in their house until there was a vacancy in a cemetery. Style & Structure: The style and structure of this passage might make it challenging for some students. The passage begins with an invitation from the 1800 s followed by a lead sentence connecting that invitation to present-day Halloween traditions. Such an introduction may distract readers from understanding era or perspective being discussed. While the passage is organized around topics, the structure is not linear or chronological, and the passage skips back and forth between time periods and perspective. See especially: Questions 1, 2, 7 Style: The passage incorporates an informal, conversational tone and contains incidents of passive voice, extended sentences, sentence fragments, and unclear references. See especially: Question 2 Structure: Covers many time periods (ancient Egypt, 1800s Europe, 1800s Egypt, and the present day) without clear textual markers to signify transition. Richness: Although the facts are interesting to students, they are dense. Understanding of this passage requires background knowledge beyond core study of ancient Egypt. The passage refers to death, burial, desecration of human remains, and sacred rituals surrounding belief in the afterlife. See especially: Question 3 Continued on next page

2 4 And humans weren t the only ones mummified. Sacred animals and favorite pets were also preserved. Cats and dogs were the most common animals to be buried, but archeologists have also found mummies of monkeys, gazelles, falcons, crocodiles, mongooses, snakes, beetles, and scorpions. 5 The ancient Egyptians made mummies because they believed that all living things consisted of two parts: the body and the spirit. Life ceased when the spirit left the body, and in order for someone to be reborn in the afterlife, spirit and body had to be reunited. If the body was destroyed before the spirit came back from its judgment, there couldn t be a rebirth. Animals were preserved not only because they were sacred, but also to provide companionship in the afterlife. Including both people and animals, some experts have estimated that several million bodies were turned into mummies. So, what would it matter if a few hundred were taken away by collectors? 6 Mummies were valued for a more important reason than collecting: people believed that the powder from ground-up mummies was a valuable medicine. It was used to treat headaches, coughs, skin rashes, nausea, ulcers, and other ailments. Supposedly, it was the resin and oils used in embalming that were beneficial. Mummies were also believed to contain bitumen, an oily tar people thought was medicinal. As it turns out, bitumen was never used for wrapping. However, the Arabic word for bitumen - mumiyah - is where we get the word mummy. 7 Medicine was not the only unusual use for mummies. In 1859, an Egyptian farmer was plowing his field when he discovered a gigantic cat cemetery. A total of 300,000 cat mummies were removed from the site, many of them in such poor condition that they crumbled when touched. Most of them were shipped to England to be used - believe it or not - for fertilizer Only relatively recently have authorities taken measures to preserve Egypt s national treasures from further destruction and deterioration. However, even though so many mummies have been lost forever, those remaining can still teach us much about life - and death - in ancient Egypt. Vocabulary: The vocabulary is challenging and content specific. Many words have the re- prefix. However, there are also lots of words beginning with re not as a prefix, which could confuse students. Richness & Relationships: The passage contains implicit relationships between groups of people (Egyptians and Europeans) and cultural practices (sacred burials versus practical or entertaining activities). The idea of how various peoples demonstrate their attitude and relationship to death and life is also discussed. See especially: Questions 3, 5, 8 Purpose: According to the italicized introduction, the purpose of the passage is to explain how mummies were made and used, However, the manner in which the assortment of facts and conjecture is presented makes the ultimate purpose of the passage unclear. This could serve as a point of discussion with students. See especially: Questions 1, 8, 9, 10 Ideas for Connected Writing Activities Explain why, according to the selection, mummies are considered Egypt s national treasures. Use specific information from the selection to explain their importance. Draft a letter that the Egyptian authorities might have written to the European mummy collectors requesting their cooperation in preserving the mummies of Egypt. Imagine that you are a reporter sent to cover one of the mummy unwrapping parties described in the passage. Write a feature article describing what you witnessed.

3 Teacher Guide for FAST-R Passage: FAST-R: Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading Nonfiction The annotated answer key below highlights common reasons students might choose each answer, and the sidebar gives more insight into the questions, to help you understand patterns of student responses. Always make time to follow up with students in conferences to ensure that the patterns you diagnose are consistent with students reading and thinking strategies. 1. According to the introduction to the passage, what should the reader expect to learn from? A. what happens at Halloween parties (OOP2) B. how mummies were made and used C. how pyramids in Ancient Egypt were built (OOB) D. why so many dead bodies were found in Egypt (OOP1) 2. What is the most likely reason the author begins paragraph 1 with a question? A. she wishes she could talk to mummies (OOB) B. to introduce the theme of Halloween (OOP1) C. to engage the reader D. to show that she does not understand the invitation (OOP2) 3. When did mummy unwrapping become popular in Europe? A s (OOP1, 1) B s ( 1) C years ago (OOP2, 2) D s (OOB) 4. Read the sentence in the box: Later, many people traveled there to see these curiosities for themselves. FE1: Identify evidence explicitly stated in the text MI5: Interpret meaning by using an understanding of literary concepts FE1: Identify evidence explicitly stated in the text MI1: Interpret implicit meaning from words in context The word curiosities means A. treasures (OOP1, 1) B. people who specialize in selling mummies (OOP2, 1) C. wonder (OOB) D. objects of interest 5. According to the first paragraph, what was the MOST LIKELY reason people wanted to unwrap mummies? A. They wanted to give the mummies a proper burial. (OOB, students may associate mummies with burial ) B. They wanted to scare their friends at Halloween. (OOP1, : the italicized invitation implies that may have occurred, but is too specific to be the most likely reason; nor is it in the first paragraph) C. They wanted to satisfy their curiosity. (supported by many details in 1) D. They wanted to preserve the bodies before they crumbled. (OOP2, found in 7-8, but not related to the unwrapping of mummies) MI3: Interpret implicit meaning by understanding the organization of information in the text

4 6. Read the following phrase in the box below: Spirit and body had to be reunited. MI1: Interpret implicit meaning from words in context The word reunited means A. taken apart (OOP1, not reasonable given the full context of the ) B. brought back together (analyzing the affixes and root is a helpful strategy here: re-unit(e)-ed) C. preserved (OOP1, plausible if using the plug in another word that makes sense strategy; the text is about preserving bodies & mummies) D. tied (OOB, students analyzing the re- and un- affixes may conclude that re-untying something makes it re-un-tied vs. reunited) 7. Which of the following is the best heading for paragraph 5? A. Why Mummies Were Made B. Several Million Bodies Found (OOP1) C. The Value of Mummies (OOP2, 6) D. The Curse of the Mummies (OOB) 8. According to the passage, why were people not worried about the destruction of mummies? A. Mummies were not destroyed. (OOP2, the passage is clear that mummies were destroyed; even the question carries the assumption) B. They thought there were so many mummies that it did not matter if some were destroyed. (found in 5) C. People thought that many more mummies would be made. (OOB, plausible IF people thought many more would be made, but there is no evidence in the passage to support this idea) D. They thought mummies were so helpful as medicines that the destruction was worth it. (OOP1, mentioned in 6, but not as answer to this question) 9. According to paragraph 8, why are mummies useful to us today? A. They can be ground up to make medicine. (OOP1, not in 8) B. They are interesting to collect. (OOB, students may think so!) C. They can teach us much about life and death in ancient Egypt. D. They can be used as fertilizer. (OOP1, not in 8) 10. The main purpose of the last paragraph in is to explain A. what happened to the millions of mummies. (OOP1, plausible main purpose for the entire passage, but too specific for the final paragraph) B. how mummies are made into medicine. (OOP2, mentioned in 6 but not the main purpose of that paragraph) C. how to make a mummy. (OOB, wishful thinking, maybe, but not the purpose of the final paragraph!) D. why the mummies that remain must be protected. MI3: Interpret implicit meaning by understanding the organization of information in the text MI1: Determine implicit meaning from words in context FE1: Identify evidence explicitly stated in the text MI2: Interpret a singular meaning from the sum total of a particular paragraph

5 FAST-R + Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading Name Nonfiction Date Teacher/Class Mummies are dead bodies that were wrapped in cloth and preserved in ancient Egypt. Read this passage to learn about how mummies were made and used. Then answer the questions that follow. by Janet J. Kosky Dr. and Mrs. James Sullivan cordially invite you to witness the unwrapping of a mummy, recently acquired on a tour of Egypt, on Saturday, October 31, at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Refreshments will be served. 1 SOUND LIKE A joke for a Halloween party? Actually, even though this isn t an actual invitation, it isn t too far from reality. During the 1800s, mummy unwrapping became quite popular. All of Europe had heard of the magnificent temples and tombs rediscovered by Napoleon when he invaded Egypt in Later, many people traveled there to see these curiosities for themselves. Some even brought mummies home with them. But many more were shipped to Europe by dealers who specialized in selling mummies, sarcophagi, and other ancient artifacts. Often these treasures were taken without permission from the Egyptian authorities and without respect for the religious beliefs of the dead. 2 Although mummies are considered rare today, at one time there were so many of them, it seemed unlikely that the supply would ever run out. The custom of making mummies in Egypt lasted for over 3,000 years and was practiced not only by the Pharaohs and other members of the royal court, but also by any citizen with enough money to afford it. 3 At times there were so many wrapped bodies that cemeteries couldn t hold them all. Tombs have been discovered where mummies were stacked on top of each other six feet deep. Sometimes people even had to keep a mummy in their house until there was a vacancy in a cemetery.

6 4 And humans weren t the only ones mummified. Sacred animals and favorite pets were also preserved. Cats and dogs were the most common animals to be buried, but archeologists have also found mummies of monkeys, gazelles, falcons, crocodiles, mongooses, snakes, beetles, and scorpions. 5 The ancient Egyptians made mummies because they believed that all living things consisted of two parts: the body and the spirit. Life ceased when the spirit left the body, and in order for someone to be reborn in the afterlife, spirit and body had to be reunited. If the body was destroyed before the spirit came back from its judgment, there couldn t be a rebirth. Animals were preserved not only because they were sacred, but also to provide companionship in the afterlife. Including both people and animals, some experts have estimated that several million bodies were turned into mummies. So, what would it matter if a few hundred were taken away by collectors? 6 Mummies were valued for a more important reason than collecting: people believed that the powder from ground-up mummies was a valuable medicine. It was used to treat headaches, coughs, skin rashes, nausea, ulcers, and other ailments. Supposedly, it was the resin and oils used in embalming that were beneficial. Mummies were also believed to contain bitumen, an oily tar people thought was medicinal. As it turns out, bitumen was never used for wrapping. However, the Arabic word for bitumen - mumiyah - is where we get the word mummy. 7 Medicine was not the only unusual use for mummies. In 1859, an Egyptian farmer was plowing his field when he discovered a gigantic cat cemetery. A total of 300,000 cat mummies were removed from the site, many of them in such poor condition that they crumbled when touched. Most of them were shipped to England to be used - believe it or not - for fertilizer Only relatively recently have authorities taken measures to preserve Egypt s national treasures from further destruction and deterioration. However, even though so many mummies have been lost forever, those remaining can still teach us much about life - and death - in ancient Egypt.

7 FAST-R + Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading Name Nonfiction Date Teacher/Class MCAS Spring 2000 Directions: Answer the following questions by filling in the circle with the best answer on your answer sheet. 1. According to the introduction to the passage, what should the reader expect to learn from Millions of Mummies? A. what happens at Halloween parties B. how mummies were made and used C. how pyramids in ancient Egypt were built D. why so many dead bodies were found in Egypt 2. What is the most likely reason the author begins paragraph 1 with a question? A. she wishes she could talk to mummies B. to introduce the theme of Halloween C. to engage the reader D. to show that she does not understand the invitation 3. When did mummy unwrapping become popular in Europe? A s B s C years ago D s 4. Read the sentence in the box: Later, many people traveled there to see these curiosities for themselves. The word curiosities means A. treasures B. people who specialize in selling mummies C. wonder D. objects of interest

8 5. According to the first paragraph, what was the MOST LIKELY reason people wanted to unwrap mummies? A. They wanted to give the mummies a proper burial. B. They wanted to scare their friends at Halloween. C. They wanted to satisfy their curiosity. D. They wanted to preserve the bodies before they crumbled. 6. Read the following phrase in the box below: Spirit and body had to be reunited. The word reunited means A. taken apart B. brought back together C. preserved D. tied 7. Which of the following is the best heading for paragraph 5? A. Why Mummies Were Made B. Several Million Bodies Found C. The Value of Mummies D. The Curse of the Mummies 8. According to the passage, why were European people not worried about the destruction of mummies? A. Mummies were not destroyed. B. They thought there were so many mummies that it did not matter if some were destroyed. C. People thought that many more mummies would be made. D. They thought mummies were so helpful as medicines that the destruction was worth it. 9. According to paragraph 8, why are mummies useful to us today? A. They can be ground up to make medicine. B. They are interesting to collect. C. They can teach us much about life and death in ancient Egypt. D. They can be used as fertilizer. 10. The main purpose of the last paragraph in is to explain A. what happened to the millions of mummies. B. how mummies were made into medicine. C. how to make a mummy. D. why the mummies that remain must be protected.

9 Teachers: Please duplicate and use this answer sheet only for students for whom you did not receive a pre-printed answer sheet! FAST-R Answer Sheet Name School Date Grade Class Passage Title Completely fill the circle for the correct answer. Teacher Name Write your answer to the open response prompt in the lined space below if your teacher directs you to do so. 1. A B C D 2. A B C D 3. A B C D 4. A B C D 5. A B C D 6. A B C D 7. A B C D 8. A B C D 9. A B C D 10. A B C D OFFICE USE ONLY RESEARCH: Y N OPEN RESPONSE: