® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________

THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Activity: “Grammar Goes To Hollywood” • Skill: Commonly Confused Words

Affect vs. Effect

The words affect and effect are often confused and misused. Figuring out which one to use is usually as easy as
determining whether your sentence calls for a verb or a noun.

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If a verb is needed, most of the time the word you If a noun is needed, the word is you want is
want is affect. It means to change or to influence. usually effect. It means a result or a consequence.
Examples: Examples:
What you eat affects your health. The effect of eating well is a healthy body.
Mikayla’s superb campaign speech affected The allergy medicine had a negative effect on
my decision about whom to vote for. Dylan; it actually made him itchier.

Both affect and effect have additional meanings, but these meanings are used much less often. This activity
uses only the most common meanings. Directions: Circle the correct boldface word in each sentence below.

1. Patrick’s chronic knee pain has affected/effected his ability to play in the upcoming soccer tournament.

2. Reading Helen Keller’s autobiography had a profound affect/effect on Isabella: She decided to learn
sign language and volunteer at a school for deaf children.

3. The drought will certainly affect/effect the crops this season.

4. How do you think the new school dress code will affect/effect the students?

5. The loud music coming from next door affected/effected Stuart’s ability to concentrate on his homework.

6. Gum disease is a possible affect/effect of not flossing your teeth.

7. The bright-yellow walls in my room have a positive affect/effect on my mood.

Directions: Rewrite the sentences below, changing the word in bold to a form of either affect or effect.

8. “Brain freeze” is one of the results of eating ice cream too fast.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Eating right before going to bed alters my sleep.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. The rain had almost no impact on traffic.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011
 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Reading Comprehension

“The Guys Who Got bin Laden” Quiz

Directions: Read the nonfiction article “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” in this issue of Scope. Then answer the
multiple-choice and critical-thinking questions below.

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1. Which pair of words BEST describes 4. W
 hy do less than 25 percent of carried out hundreds of
the characteristics of a Navy SEAL? those who apply to be Navy SEALs high-risk operations.”
A hardworking and arrogant graduate? B “No one onboard was hurt,
B muscular and aggressive A They don’t have college degrees. though the helicopter was
C intelligent and disciplined B The training is extremely damaged beyond repair.”
D small and tough difficult. C “SEAL training is the most
C Learning so many languages is grueling in the world.”
2. What is the main reason that the difficult. D “Grown men break down
U.S. wanted to catch bin Laden? D They get homesick. and weep.”
A He had been hiding for 10 years.
B He was forming another terrorist 5. T
 he article states, “The bin Laden 7. W
 hich of the following was
group. mission also shone a spotlight on NOT found inside bin Laden’s
C He had secret technology. the Navy SEALs.” What does this compound?
D He organized the 9/11 attacks. mean? A plans for another terrorist attack
A The mission focused attention B hostages
3. What is the most likely reason the on the Navy SEALs. C computers
author chose to begin the article in B Bin Laden’s compound used D names of other Al Qaeda
the second-person (“you”) voice? searchlights to warn of attacks. members
A to convince the reader to C Failure was not an option for
become a Navy SEAL the SEALs. 8. Complete the following analogy:
B to explain why the bin Laden Navy SEALs : military as
D The SEALs stood under bright
mission was so important lights when President Obama A notebook : paper
C to show how being a Navy SEAL congratulated them. B gymnast : flexible
is a lot like playing a video game C leaf : tree
D to create drama by placing 6. Which of the following quotes D zookeeper : animals
the reader in the middle of an from the article is an opinion?
intense Navy SEAL mission A “In recent years, SEALs have

Critical-Thinking Questions
9. List three ways in which the SEALs prepared for the bin Laden mission. ___________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. Why might bin Laden’s death have brought “a profound sense of justice” to some people? __________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

 Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________

® Nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Critical Thinking
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Critical-Thinking Questions
“The Guys Who Got bin Laden”
1. What is the main idea of the opening section of the article?

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2. Why was the mission so important?

3. What characteristics—physical, mental, and emotional—are required to be a SEAL?

Which do you think are most important? Which are related to courage?

4. What makes Payton Wall courageous?

5. Which lines in the poem most directly relate to the effort required of the SEALs during
training?

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Vocabulary Acquisition, page 1 of 2

Vocabulary:
“The Guys Who Got bin Laden”

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1. compound (KOM-pownd) noun; a fenced or walled-in area containing a group of buildings
example: High concrete walls seal off the prison compound from the rest of the town.

2. elite (ih-LEET) adjective; the best or most distinguished of a group

example: Melora’s soccer coach recommended her for a special camp for elite players.

3. grueling (GROO-uh-ling) adjective; exhausting; requiring extreme effort

example: Most people think being in an action movie would be great fun, but they don’t know
about the grueling schedule of getting up at 4:00 in the morning for months at a time.

4. inevitable (in-EV-uh-tuh-buhl) adjective; impossible to avoid or sure to happen

example: It’s inevitable that some of the students who auditioned will be disappointed when
we announce the cast of the school play.

5. lethal (LEE-thuhl) adjective; deadly

example: Smoking is a lethal habit.

6. manhunt (MAN-huhnt) noun; an organized search for a person, usually a criminal

example: The police launched a manhunt to find the kidnapper.

7. meticulous (muh-TIK-yuh-luhs) adjective; extremely or overly careful in thinking about or dealing

with small details; precise
example: Elijah’s grandma is meticulous in following the recipe for her chocolate chip cookies. She
buys a special brand of chips, measures every ingredient carefully, and uses a thermometer to make
sure her oven is exactly 350 degrees.

8. muffle (MUHF-uhl) verb; to deaden sound, especially by wrapping

example: Enrique covered his basement walls with thick foam to muffle the sound of his drums.

9. surveillance (ser-VEY-luhns) noun; a close watch kept over a place or person

example: The bank robbery was recorded by surveillance video cameras.

10. t ailor-made (TAY-ler MAYD) adjective; perfect for a particular person, situation, or purpose
example: My parents went on a tour of Nashville that was tailor-made for country-music lovers.

Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • september 5, 2011

Name: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________
nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Vocabulary Acquisition, page 2 of 2

Vocabulary Practice
“The Guys Who Got bin Laden”
Directions: Circle the word or phrase that best answers each question.

1. For the science fair, Niko and Carla conducted an experiment on the boiling points of

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different solids, like butter, chocolate, and cheese. For their project to be a success,
they had to be extremely accurate about measuring temperature and time.

What did Niko and Carla’s experiment require them to be?

tailor-made elite meticulous

2. Brianna’s gymnastics coach is teaching her how to do a backflip on the balance beam.
He keeps reminding her that when trying a new skill, she’s bound to make errors.
He says that she shouldn’t worry if she falls off; she should just keep practicing.

What does Brianna’s coach believe about mistakes?

They are lethal. They are inevitable. They are grueling.

3. Detectives Michelman and Elligood quietly climbed onto the roof of a house so they
could see over the wall next-door. They saw men with briefcases coming and going from
a cluster of buildings. The detectives got out their binoculars and cameras. For two days,
they watched and waited, hoping to gather evidence against the mobsters.

_ What kind of assignment were the detectives on?

_ surveillance manhunt compound

4. Kasper had the giggles. He had them bad. It was one of those times when once he started
cracking up, he just couldn’t stop. All he could do was sit in the back of his classroom with
his hands over his mouth to muffle the sound of his laughter.

_ What was Kasper trying to do to his laughter?

_ make it quieter make it louder disguise it as something else

Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • september 5, 2011

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Reading Comprehension, page 1 of 2

Read, Think, Explain

Identifying Nonfiction Elements
Exploring the facts and ideas in a nonfiction article will help you understand it better. Use this worksheet to help

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you understand “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” in the September 5, 2011, issue of Scope.

A. BEFORE READING
1. Read the title, or headline, of the article. Write it here: __________________________________________________

Now look at the photographs and read the captions. What can you predict the story will be about?

Circle one of the choices below and explain.

A person If so, who? _______________________________________________________________________________

An event If so, what?_______________________________________________________________________________

Something else If so, what?_________________________________________________________________________

2. Look at the photograph on pages 4-5. What does it show? What can you infer from the title and the photo?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Circle the word below that most closely describes the genre of the article.

essay nonfiction autobiography historical fiction

B. DURING READING
Read the subtitle, or heading, of each section. Then complete the following.

4. The first section is the introduction. It is mainly about (summarize):_____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ .

5. The second section is called ______________________________. It is mainly about (summarize): ________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ .

6. The third section is called ______________________________. It is mainly about (summarize): __________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ .

7. The fourth section is called ______________________________. It is mainly about (summarize):_________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ .

8. The fifth section is called ______________________________. It is mainly about (summarize):___________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
Continued on Next page >
Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011
Nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Reading Comprehension, page 2 of 2

9. The sixth section is called ______________________________. It is mainly about (summarize):________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________.

C. AFTER READING
10. Write down three facts from the article that you didn’t know before you read it.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. What is the main idea of the article? _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. What is the main purpose of the article (circle one)?

to persuade the reader to inform the reader to explain the terrorist

to join the SEALs about the SEALs attacks of 9/11
13. What is the connection between the Navy SEAL article and the True Teen Story on page 10? ____________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

D. TEXT FEATURE: MAP READING

14. Look at the map and the diagram on page 6. Under each box below, write either T for true or F for false.

The oval inset The diagram

From
map helps Pakistan is of bin Laden’s
Abbottabad is Abbottabad
you see where larger than Afghanistan is compound
the capital of to Islamabad
Pakistan is in the United west of China. shows
Pakistan. is less than
relation to States. underground
100 miles.
the U.S. tunnels.

E. MAKING CONNECTIONS
15. Here’s how this article relates to (fill in at least two):

Something else I read: _____________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Something else I know about: ______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Something in my own life:_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011
 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Poetry: “If” • Skill: Reading Comprehension, page 1 of 2

Understanding “If”
Directions: Below is an excerpt of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If,” which appears on page 9 in this issue of Scope.
At the bottom of the page, we have provided definitions of the words that appear in bold. Use the poem to help

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you answer the multiple-choice and critical-thinking questions on the next page.

If
By Rudyard Kipling
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
3 If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
5 If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
7 Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools;
9 If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
11 And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss;
13 If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
15 And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
17 If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
19 If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
21 If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
23 Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son.

GLOSSARY
impostors (im-POS-ters) noun; people who pretend to be someone else, in order to deceive; fakes

knaves (nayvs) plural noun; untrustworthy or dishonest people; rascals

pitch-and-toss: an old-fashioned coin game where players line up and take turns tossing coins toward a wall. The winner
is the person whose coin lands closest to the wall, and that person gets to keep everyone else’s coins.

sinew (SIN-yoo) noun; a tendon—a strong band of tissue that connects a muscle with a bone; sinew can also mean strength.

virtue (VUR-choo) noun; moral excellence, or behavior that agrees with what is morally right; goodness

foes (fohs) noun; enemies

Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011 Continued on Next page >
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________

Poetry: “If” • Skill: Reading Comprehension, page 2 of 2

1. Who is the speaker in this poem, and to whom is he 4. I n which lines does the speaker describe taking great
or she speaking? risks and starting over without complaining if you fail?
A A husband is speaking to his wife. A lines 5-6: “If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve
B A father is speaking to his son. spoken/Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,”

C A poet is speaking to nature. B lines 9-12: “If you can make one heap of all your
winnings/And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,/
D A son is speaking to his father.
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,/And

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never breathe a word about your loss;”
2. T
 he speaker lists challenging actions, introducing
each one with the phrase “If you can . . . .” Which lines C lines 15-16: “And so hold on when there is nothing in
state what will happen if the listener completes these you/Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ ”
actions? D lines 17-18: “If you can talk with crowds and keep
A lines 3-4: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster/ your virtue,/Or walk with Kings—nor lose the
And treat those two impostors just the same;” common touch,”

B lines 11-12: “And lose, and start again at your

5. C
 onsider lines 17-20: “If you can talk with crowds
beginnings,/And never breathe a word about
and keep your virtue,/Or walk with Kings—nor lose
your loss;”
the common touch,/If neither foes nor loving friends
C lines 15-16: “And so hold on when there is nothing in can hurt you,/If all men count with you, but none too
you/Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ ” much;”. The advice in these lines is:
D lines 23-24: “Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in A consider other people’s points of view, but stay true
it,/And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son.” to yourself.
B completely ignore what other people say.
3. What does Kipling personify in lines 3-4, when he
writes, “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster/And C judge yourself by what others say about you.
treat those two impostors just the same”? Dtry hard to get along with others, even if it means
A triumph C two impostors doing something you think is wrong.

B triumph and disaster D dreams

Critical-Thinking Questions
6. Imagine that you’ve just found out you won a writing contest. You’re pretty excited—you worked really hard on your
entry—and you tell your best friend about it. Another kid overhears you and spreads rumors that you were bragging about
how smart you are. That’s totally untrue, but soon some kids are calling you names and saying you think you’re better than
everyone else. Upset, you tell your dad you wish you’d never entered the contest in the first place. Your dad tells you that
you didn’t do anything wrong, and that you can’t let what others say take away from your pride in winning the contest.
Find two lines in the poem that relate to this situation and underline them. (Note: There is more than one correct
answer.) Explain why you chose those two lines. __________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. During training, Navy SEALs must push themselves to their physical limits, continuing to work hard even when they
are completely exhausted. Find the section of the poem that describes forcing yourself to continue despite physical
exhaustion. Draw a circle around that section.
8. The speaker says you should “talk with crowds and keep your virtue,” meaning you should not let the people you hang out
with affect your morals or how you act. Do you think it requires courage to follow this advice? Explain.___________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011
 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Nonfiction: “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” • Skill: Reading Comprehension

Different Kinds of Courage

Courage is the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous. Facing a tough situation often
requires more than just physical ability. A person needs mental and emotional strength as well. Use this worksheet
to help you understand different types of courage in “The Guys Who Got bin Laden” in the

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September 5, 2011, issue of Scope.

1. The bin Laden mission was an extremely high-stakes operation for the Navy SEALs. Give two examples of the
physical challenges and risks involved in that mission: ________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why were the Navy SEALs under so much pressure to complete the bin Laden mission successfully?

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Training to become a Navy SEAL is grueling in many ways. From the section “Test of Courage,” give two

examples of how the training is dangerous or painful. _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. What mental or psychological obstacles must future SEALs face during training? Give two examples from the

section “Test of Courage.” __________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. After experiencing a terrible loss, finding the strength to go on can be an overwhelming struggle. In your opin-

ion, how did Payton Wall display courage in dealing with the death of her father? (Circle all that apply.)

She felt sorry for herself. She did well in school.

She quit playing sports. She shared her story with Justin Bieber.

She wrote to the President. She blamed Osama bin Laden.

She dropped out of school. She honored her father by playing sports he played.

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE
Debate: “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” • Skill: Persuasive Essay, page 1 of 5

Write a Persuasive Essay

Directions: Read “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” on pages 16-18 of the September 5, 2011, issue of Scope.
Fill in the chart on page 18. Then follow the steps below to write an essay explaining your opinion of

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the hazards or benefits of online communication.

Step 1: decide what you think

Do you think Facebook makes kids meaner? Consider what you read in the article, as well as your own
experiences. Check the box next to the point of view you will support in your essay. Or write your
own opinion in the space provided.

Yes! What’s with all the online bashing? No! Facebook makes it easy to be sweet!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 2: Find your support

Which of the items that you wrote in the “Yes” and “No” columns on page 18 support your opinion?
What are other points that support your opinion? List three to five support items here:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 3: acknowledge the other side

If you believe that Facebook is making kids meaner, summarize the positive things about Facebook. If you
believe most kids find Facebook to be a generally positive experience, summarize the ways Facebook can
be used to cause harm.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011 Continued on Next page >

 ® Debate: “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” • Skill: Persuasive Essay, page 2 of 5
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Step 4: CRAFT your thesis

The thesis is where you tell readers what the essay is going to be about. The thesis should be a clear,
strong statement of the opinion you stated in Step 1. The rest of your essay should support your thesis.

Your thesis: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 5: Write your hook

The very beginning of your essay is called the hook because it “hooks” your readers’ attention. The hook
should relate to the topic of your essay, but it can take many forms. It can be an anecdote (a very short
story), a fact, a quote, or a rhetorical question (a question to which you don’t expect an answer). Here are
three ideas for hooks that could work for this topic. Choose one of the ideas below or use your own idea,
and write a hook on the lines provided (1-3 sentences).
1. ANECDOTE: Describe a time when someone was mean to you on Facebook. How did it make
you feel?
2. SURPRISING FACT: Find a fact that will raise your readers’ eyebrows. Several surprising facts
are included in the article. You can also do some research and find a surprising fact that is not
included in the article.
3. RHETORICAL QUESTION: Ask a question about whether Facebook is an acceptable substitute for
face-to-face interaction.

Your hook: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 6: Summarize the issue

Let readers know a little about the issue you will be writing about. This is not your point of view;
it’s just a very brief summary of the issue—in this case, the fact that interactions on Facebook are
quite different from other types of interactions.

Your summary of the issue: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Step 7: Start writing

Now that you have the key ingredients for your essay, you are ready to start writing. On the next page,
you’ll find guidelines for how to organize your ingredients as well as hints about what else you’ll need to add.
Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011 Continued on Next page >
 ® Debate: “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” • Skill: Persuasive Essay, page 3 of 5
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Directions: Follow the guidelines below to write a strong essay on whether or not Facebook is making kids
mean. You will use what you wrote on the first two pages of this activity.

INTRODUCTION
Open with your hook from Step 5.

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Write a transition sentence that relates your hook to the question of whether Facebook makes it easy
for kids to be hurtful. (See Scope’s handout “Great Transitions” for some ways to link your ideas.)

Write your summary of the issue from Step 6.

Finish with your thesis from Step 4.

BODY PARAGRAPH(S)
Here’s where you write your supporting points from Step 2. For each one, write 1-3 sentences
that provide additional details. You can put all of your supporting points and detail
sentences together in one paragraph, or you can break them into three paragraphs.
It depends on how much you want to write about each point. Order your supporting points
from weakest to strongest. Readers tend to remember best the details that are presented last.

Acknowledge the other side

Now it’s time to recognize the other side of the argument. Use what you wrote in Step 3.
Then explain why you think the opposing point of view is wrong.

CONCLUSION
Use 2-3 sentences to remind your readers of your main points.

Finish with a strong final sentence. Looking for an idea? Try referring to your hook,
finding a quote, or inspiring your readers.

Read and Revise

Use Scope’s “Opinion-Essay Checklist” to evaluate and edit what you have written.
Make any necessary changes and write a second draft.
Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011 Continued on Next page >
 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Debate: “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” • Skill: Persuasive Essay, page 2 of 5

Great Transitions
Transitions are like bridges between your ideas—they help your readers move from one idea to the next.
Here are some transition words and phrases you may wish to use in your essay. Keep in mind that they

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can be used at the beginning of a sentence or within a sentence.

If you are adding information or showing similarity between ideas:

• additionally • besides • so too • first of all/secondly/thirdly
• in addition • also • likewise • to begin with
• as well as • another • furthermore • finally

If you are showing that one idea is different from another:

• however • even though • in contrast • on the one hand/on the other hand
• yet • despite • still • some people say/other people say
• but • although • in spite of • regardless

If you are showing that something is an example of what you just stated:
• for example • this can be seen • to illustrate
• for instance • specifically • namely

If you want to show cause and effect:

• as a result • consequently • so
• it follows that • therefore • eventually

If you want to add emphasis:

• in fact • of course • truly • even • indeed

Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011 Continued on Next page >

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Debate: “Is Facebook Making You Mean?” • Skill: Persuasive Essay, page 3 of 5

Persuasive-Essay Checklist
Directions: Use this guide to check your own essay, or exchange papers with a classmate and use the list
to check each other’s essays. In the margins of the essay you are checking, make notes about anything

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that needs to be revised.

Introduction
3 Does the first sentence grab readers’ attention?
3 Does the first paragraph provide a general overview of the essay’s topic?
3 Does the first paragraph include a thesis statement that strongly and clearly states the writer’s
point of view? Does the thesis clue readers in as to what the essay is going to be about?

Body Paragraphs
3 Do they contain a total of at least three points that support the thesis?
3 Do they provide details to further explain each of the three supporting points?
3 Are the supporting details presented in order from weakest to strongest?
3 D o you acknowledge an opposing point of view and then explain why you think it isn’t strong
enough to challenge your point of view?

Conclusion
3 Does the last paragraph remind readers of the main points of the essay, without going
into too much detail and repeating everything readers just read?
3 Is the conclusion free of new information (such as another supporting point)?
3 Does the last sentence leave readers with a strong final impression?
General
3 Does one idea flow smoothly into the next?
3 Do the sentence structures and lengths vary?
3 Does every sentence relate to the thesis?
3 Does everything make sense?
3 Is the essay convincing?
3 Are the grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?
Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011
 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

PLAY: The Tell-Tale Heart • Skill: Reading Comprehension

The Tell-Tale Heart Quiz

Directions: Read the play The Tell-Tale Heart in this issue of Scope. Then answer the multiple-choice and critical-
thinking questions below.

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1. W
 hat does the sound of the old 4. Why do the words the eye appear 6. W
 hich of the following is the main
man’s beating heart symbolize? in all capital letters throughout focus of the story?
A the police officers’ suspicion Scene 2? A the relationship between the
of the villain A to show how much the old old man and the villain
B the villain’s guilt man’s eye disturbs the villain B the details of the murder
C the old man’s sadness B to show how terrified the old C the villain’s mental state
D the old man’s nervousness man is of the villain D the police officers’ behavior
C to demonstrate the old man’s
2. The villain says about the old man’s 7. What does tell-tale mean?
innocence
sickly eye, “Whenever it looked at A unstoppable
D to demonstrate how keen
me, my blood ran cold.” The phrase B confessing without resistance
the villain’s senses are
my blood ran cold is C punishing publicly
A a simile comparing his blood 5. I n Scene 4, why don’t the police
D an outward sign
with cold water. officers react to the sound of the
B imagery that represents murder. beating heart coming from the 8. Which of the following best
C an idiom that means filled me floorboards? describes the purpose of the sidebar
with terror. A They are pretending they don’t “Go Back in Time” on page 15?
D hyperbole that refers to the hear it so the villain will confess A to explain why Poe’s writing is
temperature of his blood. his crime. still so popular today
B They don’t know that the sound B to describe what it was like to
3. Why does the villain kill the is the old man’s heart beating. go to school in a one-room
old man? schoolhouse
C They are not very observant.
A He is convinced the old man C to help the reader understand
D They don’t hear it. The sound
is trying to kill him. why the villain killed the old man
is in the villain’s mind.
B He wants to get rid of the old D to provide an overview of what
man’s evil eye. life was like during Poe’s time
C He wants the old man’s money.
D He thinks he’ll never be caught.

Critical-Thinking Questions
9. D
 o you think the villain is a reliable narrator? In other words, do you believe that everything happened exactly the way he
says it did? Why or why not? ___________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. O
 nomatopoeia is the use of a word that sounds like the thing it stands for—buzz and ding, for example. What are
examples of onomatopoeia in the play? Why do you think the writer uses a lot of onomatopoeia in the play?_____________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011
 Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________

® PLAY: The Tell-Tale Heart • Skill: Critical Thinking

THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

Critical-Thinking Questions
The Tell-Tale Heart
1. Why does the villain kill the old man?

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2. How does the sound of the heart affect the tension level in Scene 2?

3. Why does the villain confess?

4. Do you think the heart’s sounds are real, or are they in the villain’s imagination? Explain.

5. Do you think there is any humor in this play? If so, where?

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

PLAY: The Tell-Tale Heart • Skill: Vocabulary Acquisition, page 1 of 2

Vocabulary:
The Tell-Tale Heart

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1. belittle (bih-LIT-l) verb; to describe someone or something as little or unimportant
example: Alex was frustrated by the way his sister constantly belittled his achievements.

2. blather (BLATH-er)1. verb; to talk foolishly at length; to babble; 2. noun; foolish or dull talk that
goes on for a long time
example: Miss Fletcher listened, her eyebrows raised high, as Manny blathered on about his
missing homework. He told her some complicated story about how he left it on the kitchen table,
and his family’s new kitten knocked it off, and then their dog ate it, and he would have redone it,
but he didn’t realize it was missing until the next morning, because . . . well, you get the idea.

3. bloodcurdling (BLUHD-kurd-ling) adjective; causing great horror; terrifying

example: The farmer and his wife were awakened in the middle of the night by a bloodcurdling
shriek coming from the barn.

4. cease (SEESS) verb; to stop; to come to an end

example: All conversation ceased when Angelina entered the room. There was complete silence
as she walked slowly to her table in the corner.

5. Darjeeling (dahr-JEE-ling) noun; a type of black tea grown in the Darjeeling region of India
example: Each afternoon, Ms. Griswold enjoys a cup of Darjeeling and a cucumber sandwich.

6. gargoyle (GAHR-goil) noun; a strange or frightening carved figure of a human or animal sticking
out from under the roof of a building
example: On each side of the archway was a stone gargoyle with a twisted face and huge wings.

7. keen (KEEN) adjective; very strong and sensitive

example: Vanessa’s keen eyesight helped her find DeeDee’s missing earring in the carpet.

8. marrow (MARE-oh) noun; the soft tissue that fills the innermost part of bones
example: Raphael donated some of his bone marrow to help treat his cousin’s leukemia.

9. stifled (STIHY-fuhld) adjective; kept in or held back; repressed

example: The room was full of stifled yawns as Ed’s speech went on and on.

10. vex (VEKS) verb; to annoy or bring distress

example: My mom was clearly vexed by our flight delay, but my dad seemed to take it in stride.

Scholastic sCOPE ACTIVITY • September 5, 2011

Name: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________
PLAY: The Tell-Tale Heart • Skill: Vocabulary Acquisition, page 2 of 2

Vocabulary Practice:
The Tell-Tale Heart
Directions: Complete the sentences using the vocabulary words listed in the Word Bank.

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Word Bank
belittle bloodcurdling Darjeeling keen stifled

blather cease gargoyle marrow vex

1._Drew’s father could ____________________ on for hours on end about the invention of Scotch tape.

2._Whenever I walk past the old building on the corner, I feel like the eyes of the ____________________
are watching me.

3._“That’s enough!” Ms. Abernathy said to Harry and Larry. “You must ____________________ this
quarreling at once!”

4._The loud music coming from next door continued to ____________________ Annali’s family.

5._Reiko is a great softball player, but she has a tendency to ____________________ her teammates
by making fun of them whenever they make mistakes.

6._“Would you like green tea, peppermint, or ____________________?” the waitress asked.

7._Chloe didn’t want Matt to know she was upset. She walked into his party with a strained smile
and ____________________ anger.

8._Many search-and-rescue teams employ dogs because of their ____________________ sense of smell.

9._The most disturbing part of the horror movie was not what we actually saw, but what we imagined
while hearing the ____________________ screams coming from off-screen.

10. The witness felt the accused man’s stare deep in the ____________________ of his bones.

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

play: The Tell-Tale Heart • Skill: Understanding Mood, page 1 of 2

Thinking About Mood

Directions: Answer each question to help you identify the mood of The Tell-Tale Heart, and how the writer
creates that mood. Below, we provide some words that describe mood; feel free to choose from our list or

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come up with your own words when answering the questions.

Words That Describe Mood

anxious eerie horrifying lonely sorrowful
bouncy exciting humorous mellow spooky
calm freaky inspiring mysterious suspenseful
celebratory frightening intense nightmarish tense
cheerful frustrating irritating romantic tragic
creepy funny joyous sad uneasy
dreamy hopeful lighthearted scary unnerving

ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Look at the illustrations on pages 11, 12, and 14. List two or three adjectives that describe the mood of each.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Now think about how the artist created that mood. Is it the colors she used? The style of the illustrations?

The subject matter? Particular details that she included or emphasized? Explain. __________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SCENE 1
3. Consider the following words and phrases from the Ravens’ introduction:
zombie candlelight murder gargoyles man who lost his mind
vampires bloodcurdling morgues graveyards
What do these words and phrases have in common? _____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. In some of the villain’s lines, some or all of the words appear in capital letters. How does reading or hearing
these lines make you feel? Why? ________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________

play: The Tell-Tale Heart • Skill: Understanding Mood, page 2 of 2

SCENE 2
5. At what time of day do the events in this scene take place? ________________________________________________
How does this affect the mood of the scene? _____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What sounds (other than regular speaking) occur in this scene? How do these sounds affect the mood?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What is the main event of this scene?____________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. List two or three adjectives that describe the mood of this scene. _________________________________________
Now list at least three words or phrases in the scene that help create this mood. ___________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

SCENE 3
9. Consider what the police officers say and how they say it. How do they affect the mood of the scene?
Do they, for example, increase the terror, add a note of humor, or increase the tension? Explain. ____________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. What sounds (other than regular speaking) occur in this scene? How do these sounds affect the mood?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Describe the villain’s state of mind during this scene. How does it change? ________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Does the tension increase or decrease during this scene? What causes it to increase or decrease?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Consider what the Ravens say and how they say it, in this scene and throughout the play. How do they affect
the mood? Explain. ____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now use your answers to help you respond to the prompt on page 15: What is the mood of The Tell-Tale Heart?
How does the writer create that mood? That is, what images, words, ideas, or other details caused you to feel the
way you felt? Write a paragraph explaining your answers. Write on the back of this page or on your own paper.

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

THEN & NOW: “America’s Bad Habit” • Skill: Compare and Contrast, page 1 of 2

How Has Smoking Changed?

Directions: Use the articles “Blowing Smoke” and “Cigarettes Kill” to complete the chart below. In each row, fill
in the second and third columns. Then decide whether the information in the two columns is similar or different

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(or both) and put check marks in the appropriate column(s).

1950s and Early ’60s Present Day Similar Different

Percentage of adult
smokers in the U.S.

The price of a pack

of cigarettes

Where smoking is
permitted

Government
regulation of the
tobacco industry

Measures in place to
discourage people
from smoking

In general, the
public’s belief about
smoking’s effect on
health

Why people smoke

(Write your own.)

Continued on Next page >

Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ Date: __________________

THEN & NOW: “America’s Bad Habit” • Skill: Compare and Contrast, page 2 of 2
Directions: Use what you entered in the chart to write an essay about how America’s laws and attitudes about
smoking have changed since the 1950s. We’ve supplied a few key sentences and some guidelines about what else
to write.

Tell how many Smoking in the United States has changed a lot since the 1950s. To begin with, far fewer
American adults
smoke today, and people smoke today than back then. _________________________________________________

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how many smoked
______________________________________________________________________________
in the 1950s
and ’60s. One reason for this decrease is that today, the government ______________________________

Explain current
______________________________________________________________________________
government ______________________________________________________________________________
regulation of the
tobacco industry. ______________________________________________________________________________
Explain In the 1950s, however,__________________________________________________________
government
regulation of the ______________________________________________________________________________
tobacco industry
______________________________________________________________________________
in the 1950s. Tell
where and how ______________________________________________________________________________
cigarettes were
advertised. ____________________________________________________________________________

Provide a
There are more obstacles to buying and smoking cigarettes than there used to be, as well. _
few support ____________________________________________________________________________
sentences
telling what ____________________________________________________________________________
makes buying
and smoking ______________________________________________________________________________
cigarettes more
difficult now than
______________________________________________________________________________
in the past. ______________________________________________________________________________
Explain what most Also, people are more aware of smoking’s dangers today than they were in the 1950s.
people now think
about the risks ____________________________________________________________________________
of smoking. Tell
____________________________________________________________________________
how people learn
about these risks. ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Explain what most
people in the ____________________________________________________________________________
1950s and ’60s
thought about the ____________________________________________________________________________
risks of smoking.
What will it take to lower smoking rates even further?_______________________________
Suggest a way ____________________________________________________________________________
to further reduce
smoking rates. ____________________________________________________________________________
Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011
 ® Name: ___________________________________________________ Date: ______________
THE LANGUAGE ARTS MAGAZINE

THEN & NOW: “America’s Bad Habit” • SKILL: Reading Comprehension

Scope Crossword Puzzle

Directions: See how much you remember from the articles “Cigarettes Kill” and “Blowing Smoke.” Put your
knowledge to the test with our crossword puzzle.

1 2 3 4

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5 6

7 8

10

11

12

13

ACROSS exist now than in the doWN 7. I t’s shocking now,

1950s. but people used to be
2. Tobacco companies 1. o
 ne reason some kids able to buy and smoke
used ___ to try to 11. Tobacco companies start smoking (2 words) cigarettes in these.
persuade people that once claimed that their
filter-tip cigarettes products were not ___ 3. Smoking can ___ your 8. S moking has been
to people’s health. teeth. linked to cancer in
were safer.
4. Experts believe that this part of the body.
5. Today’s high ___ on 12. Today, it is illegal to
___ cigarettes on TV. actors who smoke in 9. the substance that
cigarettes have helped
movies contribute to makes cigarettes
reduce smoking rates.
13. ___ Americans smoke ___ smoking. addictive
10. Many more ___ on now than in the 1950s
cigarette advertising
6. ___ and laws about
smoking have changed a
lot in the past 50 years.
Scholastic sCOPE activity • september 5, 2011