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(C) J. Garwood 2013
(C) J. Garwood 2013
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Remembering Pearl Harbor
On December 7, you might notice American flags at half-mast, or only
halfway up the flagpole. This commemorates December 7, 1941, which
President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a day that will live in infamy.
Pearl Harbor is a naval base on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. In 1941,
many members of the Navy were living at Pearl Harbor. The base also
stored many ships and supplies for the United States Navy.
December 7 of that year began as a typical day at Pearl Harbor, but
at 7:48 a.m., about 350 Japanese planes attacked the base. Because the
United States had not yet entered World War II, the base was completely
surprised by the attack and suffered heavy losses. Over 2,000
Americans died and 181 Navy ships were destroyed.
Before the attack, most Americans wanted to stay out of World War
II, but the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor changed their minds. The next
day, December 8, 1941, the United States joined World War II by declaring
war on Japan. Today, you can visit Pearl Harbor to remember the Navy
sailors who bravely fought that day, especially those who lost their lives.

blue Who called December 7 a day that will live in infamy?

yellow What does it mean for a flag to be at half-mast?
red Where is Pearl Harbor?
purple Why might you visit Pearl Harbor today?
green How many Americans lost their lives?
orange When did the planes arrive at Pearl Harbor?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

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color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World: Diwali
Like many other fall and winter holidays, Diwali is a festival of light to
celebrate the new year. Diwali is celebrated by Hindu people in India and
other parts of the world for five days in October or November.
On Diwali, Hindu families wear new clothes and clean their houses for
a fresh start in the new year. Homes are decorated for the holiday with
small clay lamps in each window. These lamps are called diyas and they
represent the triumph of light over darkness, and good over evil. Families
may also use chalk or colored rice to create a bright, patterned design
called a rangoli.
Much like Thanksgiving in the United States, Diwali is a day to celebrate
a successful harvest and a strong year of business. Along with giving
thanks for the past year, Hindus also pray to the Lakshmi, the goddess
of wealth, for good luck in the new year.
During Diwali, family and friends share sweets and snacks with one
another and enjoy brilliant fireworks in the sky. Diwali kicks off the new
year with light, color, a new beginning- and a lot of fun!

blue Who is the goddess of wealth?

yellow What do diyas represent?
red Where is Diwali celebrated?
purple Why do Hindus pray to Lakshmi?
green How do Hindus dress during Diwali?
orange When is Diwali?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

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color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World: Christmas in the USA
Christmas is a holiday celebrated around the world! Although Christmas
is a Christian holiday celebrated around the world to celebrate Jesus
birth, many Christmas traditions are unique to the United States.
As December 25th approaches, many Americans cut a pine tree to
put in their home and decorate with garlands and ornaments. Most
families place a star or an angel on the top of the tree. Under this
Christmas tree, families place wrapped gifts for one another. Many
families also decorate their homes and the tree with little bright lights.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, children leave a plate of cookies and
milk for Santa Claus. That night, Santa leaves the North Pole on a sleigh
pulled by magical reindeer and travels around the world delivering gifts to
good girls and boys. Many children put up a stocking for small gifts and
candy and open gifts with their family on Christmas.
Many families also celebrate Christmas in America by eating a hearty
meal with family, singing Christmas carols to neighbors, or going to church.
Christmas is a holiday to celebrate with family and give to others.

blue For whom do children put cookies out?

yellow What goes under the Christmas tree?
red Where does Santa Claus live?
purple Why is Christmas celebrated by Christians?
green How do families decorate for Christmas?
orange When is Christmas Eve?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World: Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a holiday celebrated by African Americans in the United
States. African Americans were born in America but their ancestors
lived in Africa. During the seven-day long celebration of Kwanzaa each
December, African Americans celebrate their African heritage. Kwanzaa
means first fruits in Swahili, one of the languages spoken in Africa.
Kwanzaa began in 1966 when an activist named Maulana Karenga didnt
think enough African Americans learned about or celebrated their familys
roots in Africa. He started the holiday to change that. Even though
Kwanzaa celebrates African culture, it can be celebrated by anyone.
On each of the seven nights of Kwanzaa, families light one candle on a
special holder called a kinara. Each candle stands for a certain principle,
or value to live by. Families also wear special clothes, sing, tell stories,
dance, decorate, and eat food that might remind them of traditional
celebrations in Africa. The familys final Kwanzaa meal together is called
the Karamu feast. Kwanzaa ends on January 1st, so families celebrate
their past but make goals for the future, too!

blue Who started the holiday of Kwanzaa?

yellow What does each candle stand for?
red Where is Kwanzaa celebrated?
purple Why did Karenga start the holiday?
green How do families celebrate together?
orange When does Kwanzaa end?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

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color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World: Hanukkah
Long, long ago, a king declared that Jews were not allowed to worship
their God. A small group of Jews fought a hard battle and won back their
temple! They wanted to light an oil lamp, but the temple only had enough
holy oil left for one night and it would take eight days to get more.
What if you were in this temple, and the little bit of oil you had actually
lasted all EIGHT nights? You would be surprised but grateful- and the
members of the temple were, too. They believed God had performed a
miracle! Jews celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah each year.
To remember the story of Hanukkah, Jewish families light candles on a
special candleholder called a menorah. Each night, one more candle is lit as
the family says blessings and prayers together. By the last night of
Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights, the entire menorah is lit!
Hanukkah is also a time for enjoying special foods, like latkes (potato
pancakes) and playing games. One popular game involves a special top
called a dreidel. Children are also sometimes given gifts of coins, called
Hanukkah gelt. Jewish families in Israel and around the world celebrate
the miracle of Hanukkah for eight nights, usually in December.

blue Who receives Hanukkah gelt?

yellow What are latkes?
red Where is Hanukkah celebrated?
purple Why were Jews surprised that the oil lasted?
green How long did the oil last?
orange When are all of the candles lit on the menorah?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World: Chinese New Year
Can you imagine celebrating a holiday for15 days? In China, families
celebrate Chinese New Year from the last day of the Chinese calendar to
the fifteenth day of the next month. Chinese New Year usually falls in
January or February, but it begins the new year on Chinas lunar calendar.
Every year in China is called the Year of a certain animal. For instance,
most of 2015 was the Year of the Sheep and in February 2016 begins the
Year of the Monkey. Every 12 years, these animals repeat.
During Chinese New Year, families in China have a special dinner
together and clean their house for a fresh start in the new year. During
Chinese New Year, the color red is everywhere! Some people believe that
the color red is good luck and can scare away evil. Families cut out red
paper designs for the windows, hang red lanterns, wear red, and give
each other money in red envelopes. When children receive a red envelope,
they keep it under their pillow for seven days for good luck. Sometimes,
parades feature lion dancers, or people mimicking lion movements in a
large lion costume. Finally, fireworks kick off the new year with a bang!

blue Who are lion dancers?

yellow What do children do after receiving money?
red Where do families put red paper designs?
purple Why is red worn during Chinese New Year?
green How long does Chinese New Year last?
orange When do the animal years repeat?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World: St. Lucia Day
On the13th of December, St. Lucia Day (also called St. Lucys Day) is
celebrated in some European countries.
When St. Lucy was a young girl, some Christians were punished for
their faith and had to live in hiding underground. St. Lucy helped them by
bringing them food, but it was dark. Because her hands were full carrying
food, she put candles on a wreath to wear on her head. The name Lucy
even means light! St. Lucy is honored each year on December 13 in
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and some parts of Italy.
St. Lucia Day is celebrated by a girl in the family wearing a white dress
with a red sash around her waist and a crown of candles on her head.
Small children might use electric candles, but teenagers often wear real,
lit candles on their heads! In Sweden, these girls may then hand out small
gifts, sing Christmas carols, and hand out cookies or Lussakatts, which
are special breakfast buns.
St. Lucia Day celebrates an honorable young woman and officially
begins the Christmas season in Sweden and other countries.

blue Who brought food to the hiding Christians?

yellow What does the name Lucy mean?
red Where is St. Lucia Day celebrated?
purple Why did St. Lucy wear a wreath of candles?
green How do young girls dress on St. Lucia Day?
orange When does the Christmas season begin in Sweden?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
The Winter Solstice
The winter solstice is coming soon in the Northern hemisphere! A day is
always 24 hours because it takes 24 hours for the Earth to rotate once.
The winter solstice, though, has less hours of daylight than any other day of
the year, so it is often called the shortest day of the year.
Why do we have fewer hours of daylight on the winter solstice? We see
daylight whenever our part of the Earth is facing the sun. Every time the
Earth rotates us towards the sun, we see daylight. Our Earth is tilted,
though! This means that in the summer, our hemisphere (or half of the
Earth) is tilted towards the sun and we see the sun for longer each day. In
the winter, our hemisphere is tilted away from the sun and we have fewer
hours of daylight. This is why the seasons are opposite for each
hemisphere. For example, December and January are winter months in the
United States, but in Australia they are summer months!
In 2015, the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere falls on
December 22nd. After that date, we will slowly see more and more daylight
and the days will feel longer. The days get longer until the summer solstice!

blue In Australia, which season includes December?

yellow What causes us to see daylight?
red Where is the winter solstice in December?
purple Why is the winter solstice called the shortest day?
green How long does it take for Earth to rotate once?
orange When is the 2014 winter solstice in the Northern
hemisphere?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

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color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
The Science of Snow
When the weather drops below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), tiny
droplets of water in the clouds crystallize into flakes of ice. These
snowflakes come in different sizes and shapes depending on how cold and
wet the air is around the water droplets. Usually, snowflakes have six
main branches and crystallize in a symmetrical way, but sometimes pieces
break off or change on their way down from the clouds.
Meteorologists, or weather predictors, have special words to describe
the snow. Sometimes, light snow is called snow flurries. A heavy snowfall
can be called a snowstorm, but when a snowstorm has wind and snow so
strong that it is hard for people to see, the storm is called a blizzard.
If a blizzard comes, sometimes school is canceled for a snow day. On a
snow day, children can often play in the snow, making snowmen and lying in
the snow to make snow angels. They may also go sledding, where they
slide down a snowy hill on a sled. Snow can be such a fun part of winter!
Silver Lake, Colorado holds the record for the most snowfall in one
day. On April 14, 1921, Silver Lake saw 76 inches of snowfall!

blue Who are meteorologists?

yellow What is a blizzard?
red Where do water droplets crystallize?
purple Why do snowflakes have differences?
green How do meteorologists describe light snow?
orange When did Silver Lake have 76 inches of snow?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Snowflake Bentley
Imagine trying to take a photograph of a snowflake. For many years,
no one could take a close photo. By the time most photographers brought
snowflakes under a microscope to zoom in closely, the flake would melt!
A man named Wilson Alwyn Bentley, who has been nicknamed
Snowflake Bentley, was one of the first known snow photographers. He
became very interested in snowflakes as a teenager after his mom gave
him a microscope. He first took a photo of a snowflake on January 15,
1885. He perfected a process of catching snowflakes on black velvet and
taking photos of them under a microscope before they melted. Amazingly,
he took over 5000 photos of snowflakes and photos of other
precipitation like ice, clouds, and fog before dying of pneumonia in 1931.
A museum in Bentleys hometown of Jericho, Vermont has the largest
collection of his snowflake photographs. These photos have been
published throughout the world in scientific magazines and articles. They
have helped scientists study and learn more about snowflakes. Bentleys
book is still famous today for its beautiful snowflake photographs.

blue Who gave Bentley his first microscope?

yellow On what did Bentley catch snowflakes?
red Where was Bentleys hometown?
purple Why was it hard to take photos of snowflakes?
green How many snowflake photos did Bentley take?
orange When did Bentley pass away?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Gingerbread Man
Once upon a time, an old lady was baking for the holidays. She made a
little gingerbread man. She gave him three shiny red buttons, two dark
candy eyes, and one big, bright smile- and put him in the oven.
As the cookie baked, the old lady and her husband smelled the delicious
spice of gingerbread. They couldnt wait to enjoy the gingerbread man!
But when the old woman opened the oven, the gingerbread man ran away!
The old woman chased him out of the kitchen. Stop! Stop! she yelled.
The gingerbread man looked back. Run, run, as fast as you can! You
cant catch me; Im the gingerbread man!
The old woman chased him out of the house and past a pig. Stop!
Stop! the pig cried. I want to eat you!
The gingerbread man ran on. Run, run, as fast as you can! You cant
catch me; Im the gingerbread man! Other farm animals chased him too!
Finally, the gingerbread man came to a river. Oh no! he thought. A fox
offered to give him a ride across, so the gingerbread man jumped on the
foxs back. The water got deeper, so he jumped to the foxs head. When
the water became even deeper, he jumped to the foxs nose, and- snap!-
the fox gobbled up the gingerbread man in a single bite.

blue Who chased the gingerbread man second?

yellow What did the gingerbread man look like?

red Where did the gingerbread man run first?

purple Why did the gingerbread man jump to the foxs head?

green How many buttons did the gingerbread man have?

orange When did the gingerbread man run away?

(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Oops! A Winter Story
Gerald the Grizzly Bear sighed. He wanted to play, but his best friend
Timmy had just migrated south with the other geese for the winter.
Gerald decided he would go and find another friend to play with.
Next, Gerald walked over to the squirrels tree. He looked for his
friend up in the nest, but Will was busy collecting nuts with his family.
Disappointed, Gerald headed to the pond to find his friend Larry, but
even the toad had already buried himself in the mud for the winter.
Gerald walked back to the stream to meet his mother for dinner, his
shoulders sagging. Mom, what can I do? All of my friends are busy getting
ready for winter. What if I dont have anyone to play with all winter?
His mom laughed, serving him a heaping pile of fish. Gerald, dont you
remember? We need to prepare for winter, too. In a few days, well be
heading into our cave to hibernate!
Gerald smiled and blushed, feeling embarrassed. Oops! he said. I
almost forgot. Guess that means I should have seconds!
Grinning, Geralds mom gave him two more salmon. Youre right. Eat
up! You need plenty of energy for your long nap this winter!

blue Who is buried in the mud?

yellow What did Gerald and his mom eat?
red Where does Gerald meet his mother?
purple Why does Geralds mom tell him to eat up?
green How are the squirrels preparing for winter?
orange When will the bear family go into hibernation?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Freddie Flakes Water Cycle Journey
Little Freddie Flake bounced happily in the cloud. Im almost ready to
fall! he cried. Winter had finally arrived, and it was Freddies first time as
a snowflake. I have always wanted to be part of a snowman!
His mother Dolly Drop smiled sweetly. Just remember, Freddie, there
are lots of things a snowflake can be. You could be in a snowball, on a
tree, or covering a ski hill. Not every snowflake becomes a snowman.
But Freddie could hardly hear her. He knew he was almost completely
crystallized, and the cloud was crowded full of frozen droplets ready to
fall to the ground as snow! Soon, he would have his chance!
Finally, Freddie drifted down in the wind, and fell on a car windshield
next to his mother. He waited anxiously, but soon, the sun came out and
he started to melt. Freddie wanted to cry because he knew he wouldnt
be made into a snowman, but he tried not to let his disappointment show.
When Freddie was just a tiny water droplet again, he gave up all hope-
until he started to warm up. He realized the sun was going to make him
evaporate and that he might have another chance to fall as snow.
Freddie smiled again. Maybe someday he would be part of a snowman!

blue Who warns Freddie that he may not be in a snowman?

yellow What made Freddie want to cry?
red Where does Dolly Drop fall?
purple Why does Freddie feel hopeful when he warms up?
green How does Freddie know its almost time to fall?
orange When does this story take place? (Hint: which season?)
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Holidays Around the World Fiction: Australia
Are you almost ready to go, Ruby? her grandmother called. Its
almost noon! Time to head to the beach! Ruby slipped on her flip-flops.
Ruby loved Christmas! The whole way to the beach, she tried to look
out at the ocean and see if she could catch a glimpse of Santa. When
they arrived, Rubys family carried their food to a spot on the beach. Her
uncle set up a blanket on which they could sit and an umbrella to shield
them from the sun because it was almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside!
As they sat down to enjoy the picnic, Ruby marveled at the feast-
turkey, ham, plum pudding, and her favorite treat- mince pies! Just as she
bit into a bite of mince pie, Rubys cousins started to shout. Ruby looked
where they pointed, and she finally saw him- Santa, in his fluffy red hat
and bright red swim trunks, surfing towards the shore!
The family met Santa and played at the beach all afternoon. At
sunset, they drove to the city to sing together at Carols in Candlelight.
The thousands of lit candles were beautiful. Ruby smiled contentedly as
she fell asleep that night. Christmas was her favorite day of the summer!

blue Who was surfing into shore on Christmas?

yellow What was Rubys favorite treat?
red Where was Carols in Candlelight?
purple Why did Rubys uncle set up an umbrella?
green In which season is Christmas for Australians?
orange When did the family leave for the beach?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Sledding Fun
BEEP! BEEP! I woke up to my alarm blaring. The clock said 7:15, so I
slowly stretched and climbed out of bed to get ready for school. I noticed
an unusual glow outside, so I went to the window. When I pulled aside the
curtain, I gasped. A pristine white blanket covered the grass and the
trees were sprinkled with snowflakes. The snow sparkled in the sunlight.
Beautiful, isnt it? my dad asked softly, coming to my doorway. And
guess what? You have a snow day! My face lit up and I cheered, running
downstairs to find my snowsuit, hat, and gloves.
My little brother followed me, getting ready so fast that he put his
boots on the wrong feet. We giggled together, so excited to go out in the
snow. My dad put on his coat, too, and we went to the garage to get our
blue plastic sled. We walked to the park, making the first footprints in the
new snow and throwing snowballs at one another on the way.
When we got to the park, we found the tallest hill and climbed to the
top. I sat on the sled and my dad pushed me down the hill. Whee! Faster
and faster, I slid down to the bottom. Sledding on a snow day is the best!

blue Who puts his boots on the wrong feet?

yellow What important news does Dad announce?
red Where had the family stored the sled?
purple Why did the narrator go to the window?
green How is the snow on the grass described?
orange When does the narrator get out of bed?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Name: _______________ Date: ________

Find the Evidence

Can you find the PROOF for your answers? Use a crayon in the
color shown to underline where you found each answer in the text.
Hot Chocolate Recipe
Do you ever make hot chocolate, or hot cocoa, on a cold winters day?
Hot chocolate is a great way to warm up after playing in the snow or
spending some time in the cool winter chill!
Directions:
1. First, put hot water in a mug. If its not very hot, an adult could help
you heat it in the microwave. Be very careful with the hot water so
you do not burn yourself.
2. Next, open a packet of powdered hot chocolate mix and pour it into
the hot water.
3. Third, stir the water for about one minute, or until the powder is
completely mixed with the water.
4. Then, add whipped cream on top of the hot chocolate.
5. After that, you can put a few sprinkles or chocolate chips on the
whipped cream.
6. Finally, when the outside of the cup is cool enough to touch, take a sip
and enjoy your hot chocolate!

blue Who should help you heat up the water?

yellow What is added to the mug last?
red Where should the whipped cream go?
purple Why should you be careful with the hot water?
green How long should you stir the cocoa?
orange When should you enjoy the hot chocolate?
(C) J. Garwood 2013
 Credits &
Copyright
Thank you so much for downloading this product!
This product was created by Luckeyfrogs Lilypad.

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products, ideas, and more!

This product is licensed for single classroom use only and may not be
redistributed in part or whole in any form without written consent of the author.
Additional classroom licenses may be purchased in my TeachersPayTeachers
store for a significantly reduced price! Please contact me with any questions.
J. Garwood 2013

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