Smoke Jumpers Life Fighting Fires Genre: Expository Text http://www.opencourtresources.com

concentrating in context… Before they even hit the ground, smoke jumpers are hard at work tracking the fire, finding the right place to jump, and concentrating on landing safely. concentrating: “paying close attention” or “focusing the mind”

underbrush in context… They chop away the underbrush. Rabbits hid in the underbrush. Gordon cleared the underbrush from the path in the woods. underbrush: “undergrowth or bushes and small trees growing under large trees in woods or forests.

essential in context… The firefighters create a firebreak, a wide dirt barrier, which is essential in helping to stop the spread of a wildfire. Grandpa says that laughter is essential. essential: “absolutely necessary; extremely important”

dedication in context… Their dedication has stopped the destruction of millions of acres of forests all over the world. The mother dog showed dedication to her puppies. dedication: “devotion,” “ the act of setting apart, or the condition of being set apart for a purpose”

parachute in context… The master parachute rigger is in charge of packing each smokejumper’s parachute. The marine folded his parachute carefully. parachute: “a device shaped like an umbrella, made of nylon or silk”

steer in context… steer: To steer something is to guide its course. Instead, they use the parachute “shroud lines” attached to the chute to steer toward the landing zone– and away from the fire. Riverboat captains steer their boats to safe water. steer: To steer something is to guide its course.

method in context… But since they dropped from the skies into this remote area, how will they get out? Often by the same method they got in. Julie learned to play piano using the Thompson method. method: “a way of doing something or a system for getting things done”

wind in context… wind: “air in motion” Goggles protect the eyes from wind, flying embers, branches, and smoke. The wind became stronger as the storm approached. wind: “air in motion”

Background Knowledge Firefighters face many dangers, such as extreme heat, falling objects, and possibility of getting burned or inhaling smoke. To fight fires, you need to be trained in using the equipment, how to be safe, and how to look for people who might need to be rescued. Smokejumpers, parachute into fire areas and stop the spread of fires.

have different meanings and sometime pronunciations.. Steer is a homograph that has more than one meaning. I can check a dictionary to see which meaning makes sense in the sentence. Steer can mean “to guide” or a “young male cow” Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings and sometime pronunciations.. Read “Remembering Firefighting Heroes” on p. 177. Look for any additional homographs.