Harcourt Journeys: Story Selection Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott 1

“The Ever-Living Tree” Unit 5: Lesson 23 “The Ever-Living Tree” Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott 2

Turn your Text Book to page 684. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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Why do you think the author interrupts the story of the tree to talk about Alexander the Great? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: To connect human history to the history of the tree; to show how long ago the tree began growing. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

What is the purpose of the small symbols at the beginning of the first paragraph on page 586 and 587? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Answer: The icons on the text correspond to the icons in the timeline at the top of the page. They help the reader locate information easily and to know when the text switches from information about the tree to information about world history. Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

How might shallow roots be useful to a tree? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Shallow roots are near the surface, so they can take up water more quickly from the soil. Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

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What is happening in another part of the world while the redwood continues to grow? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: People in China are building the great stone wall. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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On page 587, the author says, “the little tree kept growing bigger” and “the new tree grew quickly.” On page 588, she says the tree “just kept growing.” On page 589, the author says that “the little redwood tree grew and grew.” Why does the author keep repeating this idea? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: To emphasize that the tree continues growing while empires come and go, as time marches on. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

How do you think the air would feel on your skin if it was full of moisture? What happens to the moisture at midday? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: 1. Moist and wet. 2. As the sun warms the air, the moisture in the air begins to evaporate. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

What might cause the Ohlone to consider the redwood forest as a sacred place? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: It provided many types of food; there were dangerous animals there; the extremely tall trees inspired awe. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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Why do you think the author describes life in the forest in great detail, but gives only a brief summary of the history of Rome? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Answer: The forest and redwood tree are the main subjects of the selection; while the human historical events are details used to show the passing of time. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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What are some things that happen to the tree as the years go by? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: Woodpeckers make holes in it. A squirrel hides an acorn in it. There is a forest fire. The tree is hardly affected by any of these. It keeps growing. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Why isn’t the tree destroyed by the fire? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: The heartwood is fire-resistant, so it stopped the fire. Then the cambium grew new bark over the opening. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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Based on what Marco Polo found when he went to China, what could you say about life in China at the time? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: China was probably more advanced than Europe. They had a postal system, paper money, and used coal and fuel. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Would a dense forest have much sunlight reaching the ground Would a dense forest have much sunlight reaching the ground? Why or why not? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: No, the trees and branches would keep the sunlight out. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Why didn’t the small forest fire destroy the redwood forest? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: Dense fibers in the tree prevented the wood from burning. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

What happens to the cones after they fall to the ground What happens to the cones after they fall to the ground? Why was it important that the cones burst open? Answer Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Answer: They burst open and release their seeds; some seeds sprout into trees. This released the seeds – otherwise the seeds wouldn’t grow into new trees. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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How were Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus alike How were Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus alike? How were they different? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Alike- Both were explorers; both wanted to travel to China Answer: Alike- Both were explorers; both wanted to travel to China Different- Polo’s voyage reached China; Columbus traveled an unknown route, didn’t reach China, landed in North America Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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What generalizations can you make about the tree’s importance for animals and insects in the forest? What examples are given in the text? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Answer: It is an important shelter and food source. Animals shelter in the hollow trunk. Birds nest in the high branches and eat insects that live in the bark. Some animals hide food in the trees. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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What resources do you think hunters, loggers, tanners, and miners exploit? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Answer: Meat, hides, and fur from animals; woods from trees; gold, silver, and other metals from the ground Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

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Use the details on pp. 596-597 to explain how the tree bark is turned into nutrients in the soil? Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Answer: Lightning strikes the base of the tree; the tree falls; the trunk breaks into pieces; insects feed on the bark of the felled tree; the wood turns into dust organic elements which go into the soil Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Summarize what happened to the tree on pp. 596-597. Answer Copyright © 2011 Kelly Mott

Answer: The tree was struck by lightning and fell. New trees sprang from its roots and truck. The bark of the old tree eventually returned to the soil as nutrients. Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott

How did you do? Copyright © 2012 Kelly Mott