Faska Works, Volume 2

Edition 2,
Grade 4

The Titanic Space vs the
and Amelia Ocean

Aerhart

Christopher
Columbus and

the Egg

Name: Class:

Columbus and the Egg

By Barbara Radner
2005

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer. During his
voyages, he claimed to discover North and South America, where millions of native people
already lived. Afterwards, many Europeans traveled to settle in North and South America. As you
read, note how people reacted to Columbus’s success.

[1] This is a story about Columbus. He was an
explorer. He is the explorer who came to the
Americas from Spain in 1492. This is a story
about what might have happened long ago
when he was back in Spain.

When Columbus came back from his trip to "Columbus' Egg" by Cesar Tardaguila is
the Americas, many people praised him. He licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
was made an admiral.1 That means he was a
leader. People said what a great thing he had
done. But not everyone liked him. Some
were jealous of all the attention he got.

One day Columbus was at a party that a
Spanish gentleman gave in his honor. People were saying, “What a great discovery you have
made.” Several persons were present who were jealous of the great admiral's success. They
were proud, conceited2 fellows, and they very soon began to try to make Columbus
uncomfortable.

“You have discovered strange lands beyond the seas,” they said, “but what of that? We do not
see why there should be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean; and
anybody can coast along the islands on the other side, just as you have done. It is the simplest
thing in the world.”

[5] Columbus made no answer; but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the
company: “Who among you, gentlemen, can make this egg stand on end?”

1. An admiral is an officer in a navy.
2. Conceited (adjective) too proud and self-confident

One by one those at the table tried the experiment. When the egg had gone entirely around
and none had succeeded, all said that it could not be done.

Then Columbus took the egg and struck its small end gently upon the table so as to break the
shell a little. After that there was no trouble in making it stand upright.

“Gentlemen,” said he, “what is easier than to do this which you said was impossible? It is the
simplest thing in the world. Anybody can do it—AFTER HE HAS BEEN SHOWN HOW!”

"Columbus and the Egg", © 2005, Barbara Radner. Reprinted with permission, all rights reserved.
Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following best identifies a theme in this story?
A. Success is possible once you overcome your fears and doubts.
B. Solutions to problems can seem easy once someone has already
discovered them.
C. People are usually not supportive of others who succeed because they are
jealous.
D. The most important quality in a leader is the ability to stand up to
criticism.

2. PART B: Which phrase from the text best support the answer to Part A?
A. "He was made an admiral. That means he was a leader." (Paragraph 2)
B. "Several persons were present who were jealous of the great admiral's
success." (Paragraph 3)
C. "When the egg had gone entirely around and none had succeeded, all said
that it could not be done." (Paragraph 6)
D. "'Anybody can do it—AFTER HE HAS BEEN SHOWN HOW!'" (Paragraph 8)

3. How does the phrase "'Anybody can sail across the ocean...It is the simplest thing in
the world'" from paragraph 4 contribute to the development of the main ideas of the
story?
A. It proves that the Spanish gentleman only threw the party to embarrass
Columbus and make him feel unimportant.
B. It shows that the people who were jealous of Columbus only went to the
party to take credit for his discovery.
C. It shows that the party guests were trying to make Columbus'
achievements seem easy and unimpressive.
D. It proves that Columbus did not deserve to be honored by the Spanish
because he had not accomplished anything special.

4. What is the author's main purpose in writing the article?
A. to provide an example of how successful people think creatively
B. to encourage people not to be too proud of their accomplishments
C. to tell the true story of Columbus' discovery of the New World
D. to illustrate the importance of respecting leaders

3

5. How does the author describe the relationship between Columbus and the Spanish
gentlemen at the party? Cite evidence from the text in your response.

Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. Why do you think Columbus allowed each attendee to try to balance the egg for
himself before revealing how it could be done? What effect does this have on the
story?

2. Have you ever interacted with people who were jealous of your success? How did
that make you feel? How did you deal with the situation?

3. The story showcases Columbus's confident response to people who questioned the
importance of his accomplishments. In the context of this article, why do people
succeed? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art,
or history in your answer.

4. What does the author think of Columbus? Do you think everybody would agree with
how she describes him? Cite evidence from the text and your personal experience in
the answer.

Famous ocean explorer will attempt to find
Earhart plane in Pacific

By The Washington Post, adapted by Newsela on 08.09.19
Word Count 408
Level 560L

Amelia Earhart smiles as she sits clad in a leather aviator's jacket in the cockpit of a small airplane. One of the world's most famous aviators,
Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932. While attempting to fly around the world in 1937 Earhart and her
co-pilot and navigator Frederick Noonan crashed in the Pacific Ocean and neither their bodies nor their plane were ever found. Photo by:
Brettmann/Getty Images

Robert Ballard is an explorer. He finds sunken ships in the ocean. Ballard has been on 160 deep-
sea explorations. His most famous discovery is probably the Titanic. The passenger ship sank in
the North Atlantic Ocean about 100 years ago.
Now, Ballard is searching for answers about Amelia Earhart's disappearance. On August 7, Ballard
went to Nikumaroro. The island is in the Pacific Ocean.
Earhart vanished in 1937, about 80 years ago. She was with guide Fred Noonan. Earhart was
trying to become the first woman to fly around the world.

Halfway Between Hawaii And Australia

Nikumaroro is quite small, only 1.3 miles long. The island is about halfway between Hawaii and
Australia. Hardly anyone lives in the area.

Many believe that Earhart may have landed her plane on the island. Bones were found on
Nikumaroro. People have wondered if the bones are hers.

The U.S. Navy states that Earhart and Noonan crashed into the ocean. Ballard disagrees. A picture
of the island from the time period shows possible landing equipment. Recorded calls for help,
believed to be Earhart, described rising water.

Ballard's group will work in two teams. One team will search Nikumaroro with bone-sniffing dogs.
Ballard and his co-leader, Allison Fundis, will search the ocean around the island.

The search team will look for plane parts on the island's underwater slope. The parts could help the
team map out their search.

"Push a plane off the cliff and it will leave stuff all along the way," Ballard said. "And all you need is
one piece."

Ballard received help from the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. The group was
founded by Rick Gillespie. They have been searching for Earhart for 31 years. Gillespie hopes that
Ballard will find some proof.

National Geographic Special Coming In October

National Geographic Partners is an explorer group. They are paying for part of Ballard's trip. The
National Geographic channel will show a special about Ballard and Earhart.

In 1932, Earhart flew alone across the Atlantic Ocean. She was the first woman to make the
trip. Women had won the right to vote only 12 years before.

Ballard's team understands Earhart's importance. More than half of the team are women, he said.
Many of them are leaders. He will trade 12-hour watches with Fundis.

"This is important to women. That's why I'm so thrilled to have Allison as co-leader," Ballard said.
"I hope we find it on her watch."

Quiz Which sentence from the article states a main idea of the entire article?
(A) The passenger ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean about 100 years ago.
1 (B) Now, Ballard is searching for answers about Amelia Earhart's disappearance.
2 (C) The island is about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Hardly anyone lives in the area.
(D) More than half of the team are women, he said.
3
4 Read the following paragraph from the section "Halfway Between Hawaii And Australia."

Ballard received help from the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. The group was
founded by Rick Gillespie. They have been searching for Earhart for 31 years. Gillespie hopes
that Ballard will find some proof.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?
(A) The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery is paying for Ballard's trip.
(B) No one has found proof that Amelia Earhart's plane crashed.
(C) Other people have also been looking for Amelia Earhart.
(D) Ballard will partner with Rick Gillespie to search for Amelia Earhart.

Which event happened first in the article?
(A) Women won the right to vote.
(B) Robert Ballard discovered the Titanic.
(C) Amelia Earhart disappeared.
(D) Ballard and Fundis became a team.

According to the section "Halfway Between Hawaii and Australia," how will Ballard and Fundis look for Amelia Earhart's plane?
(A) by using bone-sniffing dogs and looking around the ocean
(B) by searching on both Hawaii and Australia
(C) by showing a special about the search on television
(D) by getting help from Rick Gillespie's group

History
|
People

This is Amelia: Read the Story of Amelia
Earhart

August 17, 2020

TIME for Kids and American Girl

THE LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION VIA GETTY IMAGES

Amelia Earhart, known as Meelie when she was a
child, loved to be swept away on adventures. Her
father was a lawyer who worked for the Rock Island
Railroad in Kansas City, Missouri. As the daughter of a
railroad employee, Amelia got to travel all over the
country and see amazing sights.

FPG/GETTY IMAGES

When she was 7 years old, Amelia visited the
1904 World’s Fair, in St. Louis, Missouri. Inspired
by a roller coaster there, she decided to build one
herself. She enlisted the help of her younger sister,
Muriel, nicknamed Pidge. Meelie and Pidge
gathered planks, a wooden box, and a tub of lard
to grease the
tracks. They built their roller coaster off the roof of
a tool-shed. Amelia took the rst ride—and crash-
landed. Despite the bruises, she loved the
experience, and told Pidge it felt like ying.

Amelia rst saw an air-plane in person when she was 10. It was at a state fair in
Des Moines, Iowa. She wasn’t too impressed: “It was a thing of rusty wire and wood
and looked not at all interesting,” she said.

Another airplane she saw was a bit more exciting. Around 1918, she and a friend
attended a f lying exposition in Toronto, Canada. While they were watching a pilot
perform stunts, he suddenly dove right at them. “I am sure he said to himself,
‘Watch me make them scamper,’” Amelia recalled. She held her ground as the
airplane swooped by.

When the plane got a few hundred feet off the ground, Amelia was lled with
exhilaration. At that moment, she knew ying was exactly what she was
meant to do.

HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY—BUYENLARGE/GETTY IMAGES

Amelia wasn’t sure what she wanted to do for her career. She nursed
wounded World War I soldiers, trained to be a mechanic, and studied medicine
and medical research. When she was 23, she attended an air show that
offered plane rides. Amelia jumped at the chance, and ew in an air-plane for
the rst time.

Famous Flier

Amelia Earhart is one of the most
celebrated pilots of all time. She
made history with her aviation
feats.

In 1928, she became the rst woman to y across the Atlantic Ocean. That
ight made her famous, but she’d been only a passenger. In 1932, she set off

on another ight—this time in the pilot’s seat. When she landed, 14 hours and
56 minutes later, she was the rst woman to y solo across the Atlantic.
Three years later, she became the rst person to y solo from Hawaii to
California.

Amelia inspired generations of girls. “Women must try to do things as men
have tried,” she said. “When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to
others.”

PASSING IT ON Earhart teaches a group of students in Newark, New Jersey, in
1933. They’re about the same age as she was when she rst saw a plane.

TRANSCENDENTAL GRAPHICS/GETTY IMAGES

Fast Facts

Amelia’s rst plane was bright yellow. She named it The Canary.
In 1933, she created a clothing line. Some of the pieces were made from
parachute silk or from the fabric then used for airplane wings.

Amelia helped found an organization for women pilots called the Ninety-
Nines. It’s still active.

She wrote three books about her ights, plus numerous articles for
magazines and newspapers.

In 1937, Earhart took off on a ight around the world. She’d traveled more
than 22,000 miles when she disappeared. She was never found.

Personal Information: Biography
•
• An important experience in his or her
• early life:
• •
• •
•
• An important experience in his or her
early life:

•
•

Person:

Accomplishments: Why this person is important:
• •
• •
• •
• •
•
•

Dream Jobs: Mars explorer and engineer

By NASA, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.17.21
Word Count 677
Level 770L

Image 1. Swati Mohan, an engineer at NASA, led the most recent effort to land a robot on Mars and study the planet. Photo: Bill
Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images

In February 2021, a NASA rover landed on Mars. A rover is a robotic vehicle with wheels. It can
move around and explore objects in space, such as planets and moons. Much of the work on the
Mars 2020 mission took place at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It is in Pasadena,
California.
Landing the rover was a difficult task. In charge of this was Swati Mohan. She is the lead systems
engineer for the mission. An engineer is someone who invents, designs, tests, and builds systems,
processes, and products to solve problems. Mohan led the touchdown of the rover on Mars. She
also shared updates on the mission to the world on NASA's live video stream of the event.
Mohan moved from India to the United States when she was a year old. She grew up in the
Washington, D.C., area. Mohan studied Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Cornell
University. Aerospace engineering is a branch of engineering related to aircraft and spacecraft.
These are vehicles and machines designed and built to work in space. Mohan continued her
studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). That is where she earned her Ph.D.

Mohan has worked on different NASA missions over
the years. This includes the Cassini mission to Saturn.
She has worked on the Mars 2020 mission since
almost the beginning of the project in 2013.

You can learn more about her below and the mission
here.

Question: What sparked your interest in space and
science?

Mohan: I remember watching my first episode of
"Star Trek" at the age of 9. They were exploring new
regions of the universe. I remember thinking "I want to do that. I want to find new and beautiful
places in the universe."

There is so much information we can get from studying space. Most of the information we still
have to learn about!

Q: When you were young, what did you want to become when you grew up?

Mohan: Actually, I wanted to become a pediatrician, or a doctor who works with children. I was
always interested in space, but I did not really know about opportunities to turn that interest into a
job.

When I was 16, I took my first physics class. I was lucky enough to have a great teacher. Everything
was so understandable and easy. That was when I really considered engineering as a way to follow
my passion.

Q: Can you explain what you do in your current job?

Mohan: I work on the Guidance, Navigation, and Controls (GN&C) subsystem for the Mars 2020
mission. This system is the eyes and ears of the spacecraft.

During the trip to Mars, we needed to make sure the spacecraft was facing the correct direction.
This meant pointing the spacecraft's solar powered devices toward the sun. We also needed its
antennae pointed toward the Earth, so that we could communicate with the machine. And, we had
to control the spacecraft to get it where we wanted it to go.

Then, when the spacecraft finally reached Mars, our team worked to help make sure the spacecraft
was in the right position. Then we gave commands to help the spacecraft land safely.

Q: What is your favorite part about working for NASA?

Mohan: It is an honor to work at JPL. Every day, there are so many exciting things happening.

In my role at NASA, I am the first point of communication between my department and the rest of
the Mars project. I train my team, and am responsible for the staff and the policies and procedures
that we use.

I am always in constant awe of what we get to do, and see, and learn, and of the talented people
who make it possible. All the projects at JPL seek to expand human understanding. They are

Quiz Which selection helps the reader understand that Mohan had an important role in the Mars 2020 mission?
(A) Much of the work on the Mars 2020 mission took place at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It is
1
2 in Pasadena, California
(B) Mohan led the touchdown of the rover on Mars. She also shared updates on the mission to the world on
3
NASA's live video stream of the event.
4 (C) This includes the Cassini mission to Saturn. She has worked on the Mars 2020 mission since almost the

beginning of the project in 2013.
(D) They are almost always first of a kind in some way. It is really motivating to work in a place like this.

Read the paragraph from the section "Q: When you were young, what did you want to become when you grew up?"

When I was 16, I took my first physics class. I was lucky enough to have a great teacher.
Everything was so understandable and easy. That was when I really considered engineering as a
way to follow my passion.

What conclusion can the reader make based on this paragraph?
(A) Mohan's first physics class helped her to become interested in engineering.
(B) Mohan's first physics class made her want to be a teacher when she grew up.
(C) Mohan took her first physics class because engineering was her passion.
(D) Mohan took her first physics class because she thought it would be easy.

Read the paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Mohan moved from India to the United States when she was a year old. She grew up in the
Washington, D.C., area. Mohan studied Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Cornell
University. Aerospace engineering is a branch of engineering related to aircraft and spacecraft.
These are vehicles and machines designed and built to work in space. Mohan continued her
studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). That is where she earned her Ph.D.

What is the structure of this paragraph?
(A) comparison
(B) events in order
(C) cause and effect
(D) problem and solution

Which paragraph from the article uses cause and effect in its structure?
(A) There is so much information we can get from studying space. Most of the information we still have to

learn about!
(B) Actually, I wanted to become a pediatrician, or a doctor who works with children. I was always interested

in space, but I did not really know about opportunities to turn that interest into a job.
(C) During the trip to Mars, we needed to make sure the spacecraft was facing the correct direction. This

meant pointing the spacecraft's solar powered devices toward the sun. We also needed its antennae
pointed toward the Earth, so that we could communicate with the machine. And, we had to control the
spacecraft to get it where we wanted it to go.
(D) It is an honor to work at JPL. Every day, there are so many exciting things happening.

Sylvia Earle: Deep Ocean Explorer

By Bobbi Katz
2007

Bobbi Katz (born 1933) is an accomplished poet who specializes in children's literature. In this
poem, a speaker describes a famous ocean explorer, Sylvia Earle. As you read, take notes on
what Sylvia Earle likes to explore.

[1] Her eyes might gaze "Dr. Sylvia Earle displays samples to aquanaut
[5] toward inside TEKTITE. Appears in National Geographic
[10] distant
[15] stars, August 1971" by OAR/National Undersea
[20] Research Program (NURP) is in the public
[25] but not for her the lure1 of Mars.
She’s challenged by a different place, domain.

just as unknown as outer space.
Not for her the stratosphere2

but a life-filled, liquid atmosphere—
where she can be… a pioneer!3

Down,
down,
down
in

the depths of the sea
where
no human

had gone before.
Down,
down
down
to

the deepest deep—
exploring
the ocean floor.

1. Lure (noun) something that tempts or is used to tempt a person or animal to do something
2. a region of the upper atmosphere
3. Pioneer (noun) a person who is among the first to explore a new area

"Sylvia Earle: Deep Ocean Explorer" by Bobbi Katz (www.bobbikatz.com), copyright © 2007 from
Trailblazers: Poems of Exploration by Bobbi Katz, published by Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins.

Copyright © 2007 by Bobbi Katz, used with permission of the poet who controls all rights.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Text-Dependent Questions

Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the theme of the poem?
A. Exploration can be exciting, but it is also frightening.
B. It is better to avoid exploring the unknown, because it can be dangerous.
C. Unfamiliar places like space or the ocean will remain mysterious, no
matter how much we explore them.
D. Following your interests can lead you on a path to great discoveries.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "Her eyes might gaze / toward / distant / stars" (Lines 1-4)
B. "Just as unknown as outer space. / Not for her the stratosphere" (Lines 7-8)
C. "but a life-filled, liquid atmosphere— / where she can be… a pioneer!"
(Lines 9-10)
D. "down / to / the deepest deep—" (Lines 21-23)

3. Why does the poet compare outer space to the ocean floor?
A. to show why the ocean floor is uninteresting to Sylvia Earle compared to
space
B. to show that the ocean is just as unexplored as space, but is more
interesting to Sylvia Earle
C. to show that exploring space seems more dangerous to Sylvia Earle than
exploring the ocean floor
D. to show that Sylvia Earle is just as excited by the idea of exploring space as
she is about exploring the ocean

4. PART B: Which quote from the poem best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "Her eyes might gaze / toward / distant / stars" (Lines 1-4)
B. "She's challenged by a different place, / just as unknown as outer space"
(Lines 6-7)
C. "where / no human / had gone before." (Lines 16-18)
D. "the deepest deep— / exploring" (Lines 23-24)

5. How does the poem's physical form help develop its theme?

Discussion Questions

Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. What does this poem teach us about the life of an explorer? What do explorers
contribute to how we understand and view nature? Would you ever want to be a
space or ocean explorer? Why or why not?

2. What does it mean to be a pioneer? Why can it be exciting to be the first person to do
something? What do you think is the impact of Earle being both a woman and one of
the first people to explore the deep ocean? What are some ways you can be a
"pioneer" in your own life?

3. Why is exploration important? Is it valuable for other people to explore places we
may never see ourselves? How do explorers help us understand the world around
us?

Name ________________ Date ___________

ocean vs. space

or

Ocean Space

In my opinion, _____________ is the
best place to explore because _______
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
That’s why I think ________________

is the best place to explore.

Name Exploring

Opinion opinions

I believe is the best place to explo

Reason #1 Reason #2 Reason #3

Restate Opinion

HoWwriTtoe OPINION PIECES
Opinion
I think _______________________________
___________________________________.

Reason #1 Reason #2

Reason #3 Reason #4

Conclusion

That’s why I think ______________________

____________________________________.

Explorer

My eyes might gaze
Towards
Distant
_________________,
I’m challenged by _______________________

Down/Up
Down /Up
Down/Up

The depths of _________________
Where
No human
Has gone before
Down/Up
Down /Up
Down/Up
The deepest of the deep/highest of the high
exploring
_________________________.