Biography

PAIRED
Melina Shows Her Mettle
READ

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 STRATEGIES & SKILLS
Comprehension Vocabulary
Strategy: Reread communicate, essential,
Skill: Problem and Solution goal, motivate,
professional, research,
Vocabulary Strategy serious, specialist
Greek and Latin Roots
Content Standards
ELL Vocabulary Science
developed, exploration, Technology
mission
Word count: 1,060**

Photography Credit: Cover NASA.

**The total word count is based on words in the running text and headings only. Numerals and words
in captions, labels, diagrams, charts, and sidebars are not included.

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by
any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, network storage or transmission, or
broadcast for distance learning.

Send all inquiries to:

McGraw-Hill Education
Two Penn Plaza
New York, New York 10121

ISBN: 978-0-02-118608-2
MHID: 0-02-118608-1

Printed in the United States.

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 Essential Question
Why is having goals important?

Chapter 1
A Spark Is Ignited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2
He Did It!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 3
Role Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Respond to Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
PAIRED
Melina Shows Her Mettle . . . . 16
READ
Glossary/Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Focus on Science . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

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 Chapter 1
A Spark Is Ignited
Franklin Chang Díaz was seven years old
when his mother told him exciting news.
Franklin’s mother said that the Soviet Union
had put the first satellite into space. Franklin
rushed outside and looked up into the night
sky. Franklin hoped to see a light from the
satellite. The satellite was the beginning
of space exploration. That is when Franklin
decided to become an astronaut.

satellite

A scientist
spacephotos.com/Age Fotostock

works on
Sputnik 1,
the first
satellite
in space.

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 father mother

Franklin Chang Díaz (top right)

is pictured here with his family.

Franklin was born in Costa Rica in 1950.

Franklin’s family moved to Venezuela when
Franklin was young. Later, the family moved
back to Costa Rica. Franklin and his cousins
played games about space. The children used
to make believe they could fly.
Courtesy of Franklin Chang Díaz

In Other Words pretended. En español,

make believe quiere decir pretendían.

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 Franklin worked hard at school. He did
well. But Franklin’s parents did not have the
money to send Franklin to college. Franklin
knew it would be difficult to achieve his goal
of becoming an astronaut. But Franklin had
his dream to motivate him.

Franklin was serious about becoming an

astronaut. He wrote a letter to a specialist
in rocket research. Franklin asked how to
become an astronaut. The specialist told
Franklin to study
math and science,
and to learn English.

After high school,

Franklin moved to
Hartford, Connecticut,
to live with relatives.
Here he is with his
Uncle Lino and
Uncle Noel.
Franklin
Courtesy of Franklin Chang Díaz

Language Hard is an adverb. It tells how Franklin

Detective worked. Find another adverb on this page.

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 astronaut
When asked what he
would give up his life
for, Franklin replied:
“a dream.”
Franklin’s dream was
to go into space.

Franklin graduated from high school in

Costa Rica. Then Franklin went to a high
school in the United States to learn English.
But Franklin took on a full school program.
Franklin failed his classes at first because he
did not understand English. At the end of
the year, Franklin got an A in all his classes.
He was given money to go to college.

In Other Words undertook. En español,

took on quiere decir entró en.
NASA

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 Franklin studied
science in college.
He developed plans
for a rocket engine.

Franklin had arrived

in the United States
in 1968. He was 17,
and he did not speak
English. By 1977, Franklin spoke English well.
Franklin had a graduate degree in physics,
and he was a United States citizen. Franklin
asked to train as an astronaut at NASA, but
he was turned down! Franklin kept trying.

Astronaut Training
Astronauts study math, science, and technology.
They learn how to survive on land and in water.
Astronauts learn how to operate the computers
that control spacecraft. They learn about
launching, orbiting, and landing on simulators.

STOP AND CHECK

What made Franklin want to be an astronaut?

NASA

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 Chapter 2
He Did It!
In 1980, Franklin Chang Díaz was finally
chosen for the space shuttle program. When
Franklin’s mother found out Franklin had made
it, she shouted, “He did it! He did it!”

Four thousand people tried to get into

the program. Only 19 people were chosen.
Dr. Chang Díaz trained as an astronaut for
six years. He also did research into rocket
design. Dr. Chang Díaz helped to design the
International
Space Station.

space suit

Dr. Chang Díaz

trains for walking
in space.
NASA

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 In 1986, Dr. Franklin Chang Díaz went into
space for the first time. Franklin Chang Díaz
said that this flight was the most exciting
because he saw Earth from space for the
first time.

Dr. Chang Díaz said

that seeing Earth
from space is “the
most beautiful
thing you ever saw.
It is worth all
the effort and
all the trouble
and all the
difficulty.”

Pilots or Scientists?
The first astronauts were pilots. Scientists
designed the spacecraft but they never got
to fly in them. Dr. Chang Díaz believed it was
essential for an astronaut to be a scientist as
Purestock/SuperStock

well as a pilot.

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 Dr. Franklin Chang Díaz flew on the space
shuttle that launched the Galileo spacecraft.
The spacecraft spent six years exploring
Jupiter. During Dr. Franklin Chang Díaz’s fifth
mission, the crew researched making medicines.

On the sixth mission, the shuttle docked

with the Russian space station Mir. The shuttle
dropped off supplies. The shuttle picked up
seven astronauts who had spent more than
NASA Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC)

two years on Mir.

Dr. Chang Díaz (right) and astronaut Jeffrey

Hoffman hold up a sign to show that each of
them has spent 1000 hours in space.

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 During Franklin Chang Díaz’s last
mission, the space shuttle docked with the
International Space Station (ISS). Franklin took
his first space walk while the space shuttle
was docked at the ISS. He took three space
walks altogether as he helped to fix the robot
arm of the ISS.

Franklin Chang Díaz flew seven

space missions.

STOP AND CHECK Dr. Chang Díaz

takes his first
Which mission did Franklin walk in space.
Chang Díaz find the most
interesting, and why?

NASA

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 Dr. Chang Díaz’s final mission was on Endeavour.
The ISS is a backdrop to this photo of the crew.

Missions Flown by Franklin Chang Díaz

Date Length Orbits of Distance Shuttle
Earth (millions
of miles)
1986 6 days 98 2.5 Columbia
1989 4 days 79 2 Atlantis
1992 7 days 127 3.3 Atlantis
1994 8 days 130 3.4 Discovery
1996 15 days 252 6.5 Columbia
1998 9 days 155 3.8 Discovery
2002 13 days 217 5.8 Endeavour
NASA

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 Chapter 3
Role Model
Dr. Chang Díaz left NASA in 2005. But he
continued his professional life. He is helping
to develop a plasma rocket. Dr. Chang Díaz
says the rocket will completely change space
travel. It will allow spacecraft to go much
farther and much faster.

Dr. Chang Díaz (front right) shows visitors

around the rocket laboratory in Costa Rica.

EPA/Newscom

Dr. Chang Díaz

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 Franklin Chang Díaz and other scientists
research diseases. The scientists hope to
find a cure for some of these diseases. Some
of the scientists’ experiments have taken place
in space. It is easier to develop medicines in
the microgravity of space.

Dr. Chang Díaz

has received many
honors. Here, he
stands (second
from left) with the
other people who
received the Medal
of Liberty in 1986.

Mars in 39 Days
A spacecraft goes from 0 to 17,500 miles an
hour in about eight minutes. The spacecraft burns
1,500 tons of fuel during that time. A plasma
rocket would work better. The spacecraft would
get to Mars in 39 days. At present, a spacecraft
would take eight months to get to Mars.
Bettmann/CORBIS

Language The word better is an adverb. Find

Detective another adverb on page 12.

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 Franklin Chang Díaz tries to communicate
to young Costa Ricans that they should follow
their dream. Franklin says that his parents and
other people helped him. But Franklin believes
it is essential to have a goal and a strong
will to achieve your goal. Franklin Chang Díaz
says that, if he could do it, anybody can.

Franklin Chang Díaz

faced many challenges
before becoming
an astronaut.

STOP AND CHECK

What has Franklin done since he left NASA?

NASA

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 Problem
Summarize
Summarize the story of Franklin
Chang Díaz. Use your Problem
and Solution Chart to help you.
Solution

Text Evidence
1. How do you know that Reach for the Stars
is a biography? GENRE

2. Find two problems faced by Franklin Chang

Díaz. PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

3. The root word orb- means circle or disk. How

does that help you understand the meaning
of the word orbiting on page 6? GREEK AND
LATIN ROOTS

4. Write what happened when Franklin Chang

Díaz first tried to work for NASA. What did
he do then? WRITE ABOUT READING

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 Compare Texts
Read about another person who had a dream.

Melina Shows Her Mettle

Melina has studied and trained for years.
Now, Melina will be an astronaut for Space
Command.

Melina has always wanted to be an

astronaut. She has listened to stories about her
great-great-grandfather, Franklin Chang Díaz.
Franklin was a famous astronaut.

Melina’s great-great-grandfather faced

challenges when becoming an astronaut. Melina
has faced challenges, too. Melina is smart, but
she found it difficult to learn to read.

When Melina graduated from high school,

she went to the Chang Díaz Space School.
Some students thought Melina was there
because her family name was Chang Díaz.
Melina had to be much better than the other
Illustraton: Max Powell

students to show she belonged at the school.

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 Melina has now been with Space Command
for six months. The next new mission will be
a flight into another solar system. They will
take a plasma spacecraft that was developed
by Franklin Chang Díaz.

Melina is so excited when she is chosen for

the new mission. Melina calls her parents. Her
parents are very excited.

Being in space is amazing. Melina is looking

out as the spacecraft enters the new solar
system. Melina sees a planet with just one
moon. The telescopes on Earth have not found
this planet.

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 Melina tells the crew about the planet.
Everyone is excited. The planet has fresh
water. It has plants. The planet has oceans. It
is so much like Earth.

Melina is allowed to name the planet she

has discovered. Melina calls the planet Pura
Vida. Melina chooses the name to honor her
great-great-grandfather, Franklin Chang Díaz,
who was born in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica,
pura vida can mean “full of life”
and “life is good.” The new
planet is full of life.

Melina whispers,
“Pura vida, Great-great-
grandfather.”

Illustraton: Max Powell

Make Connections
What challenges did Melina face in Melina Shows
Her Mettle? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What helps Franklin in Reach for the Stars and
Melina in Melina Shows Her Mettle get what they
want? TEXT TO TEXT
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 Glossary
citizen a person who is legally recognized
as belonging to a nation (page 6)

microgravity the weightlessness of space (page 13)

physics the science of matter and energy, including

the study of the laws of motion, sound, light, and
heat (page 6)

plasma a kind of gas. It is usually very hot. (page 12)

satellite an object sent into space to orbit Earth,

the moon, or a planet (page 2)

simulators machines that copy all the operations

of the real machine. (page 6)

Index
citizens, 6 satellites, 2
International Space scientists, 2, 8, 13
Station (ISS), 7, 10, 11 space shuttles, 7, 9–11
medicines, 9, 13 space walks, 7, 10
plasma rockets, 12, 13

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 Purpose To find out how a parachute helps a space
shuttle to slow down as it lands.

Procedure
Step 1 Make a parachute. Cut a piece of plastic into
a square about 12 inches by 12 inches.

Step 2 Cut four pieces of string of equal length—

about 8 inches each.

Step 3 Use sticky tape to attach a string to each

corner of your plastic parachute. Tie the
other ends of the string together.

Step 4 Pick two small toys that are about the

same size. Attach your parachute to one
of the toys.

Step 5 Drop both toys from the same height, and

record what happens.

Conclusion What happens when you drop the toy

with the parachute? How is it different from when
you drop the toy without the parachute?

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 Literature Circles

Nonfiction

The Topic
What is Reach for the Stars about?

Vocabulary
What new word did you learn in Reach
for the Stars?

Author’s Purpose
Why do you think the author wrote
Reach for the Stars and Melina Shows
Her Mettle?

Conclusions
What is the most important thing
you learned in Reach for the Stars
and Melina Shows Her Mettle?

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 Learning to Succeed Science

GR O • Benchmark 34 • Lexile [t/k]

Grade 3 • Unit 6 Week 3

www.mheonline.com

ISBN-13 978-0-02-118608-2
MHID 0-02-118608-1
99701
EAN

9 780021 186082
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