"Honest Abe”

Abraham Lincoln is not just the face on the penny. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States and he was known as “Honest Abe." This nickname started when he was a young boy working in a store. If he gave someone the wrong change back, then he would follow them home and give them their left over money. “Honest Abe” is remembered as an honest boy and a great president.

Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809 in a one-room home in Kentucky, and then later moved to Indiana and later Illinois. He grew up very poor and after his mother passed away, his older sister took care of him. Abraham Lincoln did not have an easy time growing up, but he was very smart. Most of what he knew he learned on his own by reading books, he was self-taught.

Lincoln became president in 1861. Lincoln wanted to end the use of slavery in the United States, which upset many people. Because of this, some states did not want to be apart of the United States and tried to have their own laws and rules. A war started and lasted for 4 years. This became known as the Civil War. After it ended, all of the states of the United States stayed together, and President Lincoln said that all slaves needed to be set free.

Abraham Lincoln’s life was too short. He died at age 56, but he will always be remembered.

What does "self-taught" mean?

Adapted from “How the Camel Got His Hump” in Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling (1902)

Now this is the next tale, and it tells how the Camel got his big hump.

Presently the Horse came to him on Monday morning, with a saddle on his back and a bit in his mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come out and trot like the rest of us.”

“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Horse went away and told the Man.

Presently the Dog came to him, with a stick in his mouth, and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and fetch and carry like the rest of us.”

“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Dog went away and told the Man.

Presently the Ox came to him, with the yoke on his neck and said, “Camel, O Camel, come and plough like the rest of us.”

“Humph!” said the Camel; and the Ox went away and told the Man.

At the end of the day the Man called the Horse and the Dog and the Ox together, and said, “Three, O Three, I’m very sorry for you (with the world so new‐and‐all); but that Humph‐thing in the Desert can’t work, or he would have been here by now, so I am going to leave him alone, and you must work double‐ time to make up for it.”

That made the Three very angry (with the world so new‐and‐all), and they held a palaver, and an indaba, and a punchayet, and a pow‐wow on the edge of the Desert; and the Camel came chewing milkweed most ’scruciating idle, and laughed at them. Then he said “Humph!” and went away again.

Presently there came along the Djinn in charge of All Deserts, rolling in a cloud of dust (Djinns always travel that way because it is Magic), and he stopped to palaver and pow‐wow with the Three.

“Djinn of All Deserts,” said the Horse, “is it right for any one to be idle, with the world so new‐and‐all?”

“Certainly not,” said the Djinn.

“Well,” said the Horse, “there’s a thing in the middle of your Howling Desert (and he’s a Howler himself) with a long neck and long legs, and he hasn’t done a stroke of work since Monday morning. He won’t trot.”

“Whew!” said the Djinn, whistling, “that’s my Camel, for all the gold in Arabia! What does he say about it?”

“He says ‘Humph!’” said the Dog; “and he won’t fetch and carry.”

“Does he say anything else?”

“Only ‘Humph!’; and he won’t plough,” said the Ox.

“Very good,” said the Djinn. “I’ll humph him if you will kindly wait a minute.”

"Camel my friend, what's this is hear of your doing no work, the world so new-and-all?", and the Djinn

"Humph!"

"Camel, you've given the Three extra work ever since Monday morning, all on account of your 'scruciating idleness."

"Humph!"

"I shouldn't say that again if I were you. You might say it once too often. Camel, I want you to work."

"Humph!"

No sooner has Camel said it than he sees his back, that he is so proud of, puffing up and puffing up into a great big lolloping human

"Do you see that hump? That's your very own humph that you've brought upon your very own self by not working. Today is Thursday, and you've done no work since Monday, when the work began. Now you are going to work," said Djinn.

"How can I with this humph on my back?" asked Camel.

"That's made a-purpose all because you missed those three days. You will be able to work now for three days without eating, because you can live on your humph; and don't you ever say I never did anything for you. Stay with the Three, and behave."

"Humph! Humph!"

From that day to this the Camel always wears a humph. Now we call is "hump" so that we will not hurt his feelings. However, he has never yet caught up with the three days that he missed at the beginning of the world, and he has never yet learned how to behave.

According to the passage, what is a "Djinn"?

The Farm and the Magical Rainstorms

Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was casually strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.

During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.

That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.

That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. So he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.

Based on the passage, what does “dry as a bone” mean?

The Farm and the Magical Rainstorms

Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was casually strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.

During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.

That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.

That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. So he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.

As used in the second paragraph, what does the word “baffled” mean?

The Dog and the Princess

Once upon a time Princess Ali and her mother, The Queen, ruled all of the lands. Princess Ali’s father had died when Ali was very young, so she had no memory of him and she always felt like something was missing from her life. But, many people told her tales of the great King Archie. Every story that she heard made her father sound like a jovial and fun king. Everyone always laughed when they spoke of King Archie. She thought about him often and how different her life may have been if she had grown up with both a mother and a father.

On a beautiful spring day, Princess Ali was walking in the grand gardens when she spotted a goofy-looking dog. His legs were way too long for his body, one ear stood straight up, while the other folded down, and his big tongue hung out of the left side of his mouth. He had a great big grin on his face as he ran towards Princess Ali. The dog was running too quickly and wasn’t able to stop his long legs from crashing into Princess Ali, so they both tumbled to the ground.

Princess Ali giggled as the dog covered her in kisses. When she was able to break free, she stood up and the dog began to dance in circles around her, barking happily. She saw that he wore a red collar with the name “Archie” stitched in white writing. She decided this dog must belong to someone so she spent all day walking the dog around the kingdom trying to find his rightful owners.

Throughout the day Princess Ali laughed more than she ever had. The dog spent the whole day trying to please her and make her laugh. He chased butterflies, played in puddles, licked her hand, snuggled his head into her belly, and pulled flowers out of the ground for her. As the day drew to a close, they hadn’t come across anyone that claimed to be his owner.

Princess Ali decided to keep the dog Archie, and they all lived happily ever after.

Based on the passage, what does the word “jovial” mean?

Text 1: Where to see African Animals

Animals that are from Africa are some of the most fascinating animals to see. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the animals that live in Africa, there are two ways to make this happen. The first is to visit a local zoo. Most zoos have an African section, which have many of the animals that you would find in Africa. The other, and probably the more exciting option, would be to take a trip to Africa and go on an African safari!

Visiting a Zoo

If you go to a zoo to see African animals, you can usually follow signs straight to the African section. There you will see an area that is modeled off of what an African habitat, or area where animals live, would look like. There will be tall trees for the giraffes and lots of grass and small plants for the elephants. The neat thing about seeing animals in a zoo is that you can see tons of different animals from all over the world.You can see Polar Bears found in Alaska or Kangaroos found in Australia, just to name a few!

African Safari

An African safari is a trip that is very popular in Africa. People sign up for tours and ride around Africa to see many African animals in their homes in the wild. During an African safari, the driver is also the tour guide. He, or she, will know many facts and details about the area and the animals. During the safari, you might go by giraffes eating from tall trees, elephants spraying water from their noses, and lions laying in the sun.

Text 2: African Animals

Africa is home to many amazing and different animals! The weather in Africa is generally very warm, but depending on where in Africa you are, you will see different habits and animals. The top half of Africa, or the northern part, is mainly made up of deserts. The bottom half of Africa, or the southern part, is made up of plains and jungles.

Desert

African deserts are home to animals that can live in very hot temperatures, with very little water. If you were to visit an African desert you might see animals such as camels, foxes, or sheep. Reptiles also live in African deserts. Reptiles that you might see include snakes or lizards.

Plains

African plains are flat areas with a lot of grass. You might see some tall trees spread out, but the majority of this area is covered in grass. If you visit this area of Africa, you might run into some dangerous animals. The plains are where lions and chetahs call home. However, many other animal call the plaines their home. If you want to see elephants, giraffes, or zebras, the plains are where you will find them.

Jungles

The jungles in Africa are rainforest. They are filled with tall trees, plants, and many animals. If you were in an African rainforest, you might see monkeys hanging from branches, or big snakes wrapped around trees. Also, bright colored parrots can be seeing flying from tree to tree. Much bigger animals, such as gorillas and jaguars also live within all of the trees of the rainforest.

What does the word "habitat" mean?

The Farm and the Magical Rainstorms

Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was casually strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.

During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.

That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.

That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. So he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.

As used in the first paragraph, what does the word “strolling” mean?

The Farm and the Magical Rainstorms

Since the time he was a little boy, Farmer Bo had always wanted to have a farm filled with lots of different kinds of animals. One day, as he was casually strolling down a country road, he saw a big sign in the middle of a field that reads “For Sale.” From what he could see, there wasn’t much to the land. Just a lot of open space and a small shack. The shack looked pretty old and beat-up from the outside. However, Farmer Bo never was the type to need nice things. He lived a simple life. He decided he would buy the land, live in the shack, and begin building a barn.

During the first night he spent in the shack, it began raining cats and dogs outside. Farmer Bo couldn’t sleep that night because he was worried that there might be too much flooding to start building his barn the next day. All night long he heard cracks of lighting and heavy drops of rain beating down on his tin roof. When morning came, he looked outside and couldn’t believe his eyes! There, in the middle of his field, was the start to his barn. It wasn’t completed yet, but there was a frame to the barn. Farmer Bo was baffled. He had no clue how this structure had just appeared. Instead of getting to work to complete his barn, he decided to see what would happen the next night.

That night no rain came. The ground was as dry as a bone when Farm Bo woke up from his slumber. To his disappointment, the barn still stood in the field just as it had the previous day- still not complete. Night after night he waited, but each day no more progress had been made when he woke up the next morning. After two weeks he decided he would get to work himself. He spent all day out in the hot sun working to build sides to his barn. When the sky got dark, and he was forced to quit working, he had half of the barn finished.

That night, the rain came again. To Farm Bo’s delight, the sides of the barn were all finished when he woke up the next morning. He decided not to sit back and keep waiting for the rain. So he quickly got to work on the barn’s roof. He nailed hundreds of shingles in one single day, but again night came before the roof was complete. That night, he went to bed tired, sore, and hoping for rain.

Based on the passage, what does “raining cats and dogs mean?”

The Kingdom of Cherry Blossoms

Once upon a time, Prince David and Princess Caroline were fortunate enough to rule over a beautiful kingdom. All over the kingdom, great big cherry blossom trees bloomed year-around, which is how the kingdom received its name. The Prince and Princess were not your average rulers. They were very kind and shared their wealth with all the townspeople. Instead of living in a castle, they lived in a regular home just like everyone else. The parties that they hosted were not just for the wealthy, but for everyone in town. Many days were spent with everyone laughing and dancing under the beautiful pink blooms of the cherry blossom trees.

As used in the story, what does the word “hosted” mean?

Prince Meanerman

Once upon a time, a mean prince ruled over a farming town called Summersville. The prince was named Prince Sweeterman, but he was known throughout Summersville as Prince Meanerman. The people of Summersville were very poor farmers, as the prince kept most of the wealth and food for himself. The farmers worked day and night trying to grow enough food for themselves, but still, the Prince took more and more. The sight of the hard-working farmers cracked Prince Sweeterman up as he watched from his castle in joy as the farmers struggled day after day. The Prince was warned that he should not treat his people this way, but the warning went in one ear and out the other. He never changed his ways.

One, by one the farmers began to look for other kingdoms to take them in. Eventually, Prince Sweeterman was left with no workers and no kingdom to rule over. With no food to eat for himself, he grew very hungry and meaner and meaner each day. Prince Meanerman never did learn his lesson.

As used in the first paragraph, what does “in one ear and out the other” mean?