PASSAGE 4

Week 1
Nonfiction Summer
Achievement
Program
Word Count 722 • Level R • Grade 5

Constantinople:
The Emperor’s City
1 An excited crowd fills the rows of stone seats in the huge stadium. A
flag waves over the royal box where Emperor Justinian sits with his wife,
Theodora. Fans known as the Blues sit to the right of the royal box, with the
Greens to the left. Suddenly four doors under the emperor’s box open, and
four chariots, each pulled by four horses, rush onto the track. The horses
gallop at full speed, raising clouds of dust. Thousands of people jump out of
their seats to cheer for the Blue chariots or the Green.
2 That’s how a racing day started at the Hippodrome, a stadium in the city of
Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) nearly 1,500 years ago. Just like many
people today, the people of Constantinople loved sports, and they especially
loved chariot racing.
3 One day in the year 532, the chariot races turned into a riot. The Blues and
Greens were angry with Emperor Justinian for making them pay high taxes.
They ran out of the Hippodrome into the streets, fighting and setting fire to
government buildings and churches. The mob yelled “Nika!” which means
“Conquer!” in Greek, the language people spoke there at that time.
4 Soon half the city was burning. Justinian was ready to give up and flee from
Constantinople, but his strong-willed wife, Theodora, persuaded him to stay.
By the time soldiers managed to stop the Nika riot, they had killed many
people, and the center of the city had been destroyed.
5 That could have been the end of Constantinople. But Justinian made up his
mind to rebuild the city. He turned out to be a strong leader who almost
doubled the size of his empire and helped make its capital, Constantinople,
one of the great cities of the world.
6 Justinian had great dreams for the capital of his empire. When the Nika riot
destroyed much of the city, Justinian saw his opportunity. He started a huge
building program. Soon, Constantinople had new churches, hospitals, public
baths, bridges, and more.

16 Summer Achievement Program/Passages

 Passage 4, Level R • Constantinople: The Emperor’s City | GRADE 5

7 His first and greatest project was to rebuild a church that the rioters had
burned down near the imperial palace. The church was called Hagia Sophia
(hah-GEE-uh soh-FEE-uh), which means “Church of the Holy Wisdom.” The
new Hagia Sophia was much bigger and grander than the old one. In fact,
it was like no other building in the world. Its most spectacular feature was a
huge dome in the center.
8 Justinian was willing to spend whatever it cost to make Hagia Sophia
spectacular. Constantinople was full of skilled craftsmen. Hundreds, maybe
even thousands, of stone carvers and others worked on the building. They
used 12 kinds of marble to create the polished walls and floors. They cut
glass for many huge windows—40 in the dome alone. They covered the
ceiling with glittering gold mosaics. Amazingly, they finished in less than
six years.
9 Hagia Sophia was the masterpiece of Justinian’s building program. It was a
symbol of his power as both emperor and religious leader.
10 Much of the time, life was good for the citizens of Justinian’s Constantinople.
(For slaves, of course, life was usually hard.) The land near the city wasn’t
very good for farming, but the government solved that problem. It had
ships bring food from other parts of the empire. Ships brought grain for
making bread from Egypt. The government gave citizens free bread, along
with some meat, oil, and wine. People living in the city had fresh water, too.
Justinian had his builders construct stone aqueducts, or channels, to carry
water into the city.
11 The main street of Constantinople was called the Mese, or Middle Street. It
led from the walls on the edge of the city almost to the gates of the imperial
palace. Along the street were covered walkways and the finest shops. That’s
where wealthy people went to buy goods such as jewelry, silks, and perfume.
Some shops had glass windows, with lamps shining inside at night. Even
then, people liked to window-shop.
12 Of course, most people couldn’t afford to buy gold or silk. But even if they
weren’t rich, they could enjoy entertainment. When the emperor‘s soldiers
came home after winning a war, people could go to the Mese to watch a
procession, or parade. Or they could go to the Hippodrome to watch chariot
races, circus acts, and plays.

Copyright © 2014 Sundance/Newbridge Publishing, LLC.

Excerpted from the Newbridge title Constantinople: The Jewel of Two Emperors by Marilyn Locker, Level R

Summer Achievement Program/Passages 17

 GRADE 5 | Constantinople: The Emperor’s City • Passage 4, Level R

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Selected Responses
Mark the letter of the correct answer.

1. B
 ased on the article, why was Justinian willing to spend so much money on the
Hagia Sophia?
A. Justinian wanted to please his wife, Theodora.
B. Justinian wanted to show the people there was a reason for high taxes.
C. Justinian saw it as a symbol of his power.
D. Justinian saw it as a way to double the size of his empire.

2. What was the author’s purpose in writing this article?

A. to inform readers how ancient people had fun at the Hippodrome
B. to inform readers about the effects of making taxes too high
C. to inform readers about the history of Constantinople and Istanbul
D. to inform readers about how Emperor Justinian changed Constantinople

3. How are the ideas in paragraph 1 of the article ordered?

A. chronology
B. cause and effect
C. comparison
D. problem and solution

18 Summer Achievement Program/Passages © Sundance/Newbridge, LLC

 Passage 4, Level R • Constantinople: The Emperor’s City | GRADE 5

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Constructed Responses
4. G
 ive two details from the article to support the point that Justinian was a good
emperor.

5. D
 escribe the role Theodora had in the success of Constantinople, using details from
the article.

© Sundance/Newbridge, LLC Summer Achievement Program/Passages 19

 GRADE 5 | Constantinople: The Emperor’s City • Passage 4, Level R

Name ___________________________________________________________________

Writing Activity
Fill in the chart about “Constantinople: The Emperor’s City.” Write what the passage
is mostly about in the Main Idea box. Write an important thing you learned from the
passage in each Detail box.

Main Idea

Detail Detail Detail

20 Summer Achievement Program/Passages © Sundance/Newbridge, LLC

Benefits of the Sundance/Newbridge
Summer Achievement Program
For Students:
Offers a range of high quality, carefully leveled informational and
literary passages covering a wide range of captivating stories and
topics.

Promotes effective test-taking practices through selected-response and

constructed-response assessment items.

Provides a consistent format and multiple opportunities to practice

reading succinct passages, establishing a solid foundation for reading
comprehension.

Supplies practice with written responses allowing for an improved

connection between reading and writing.

Fosters practical comprehension and test-taking skills that can be

applied to texts from any subject.

For Teachers:
Supplies standard-specific questions to assess students’ comprehension.

Presents explicit instruction for using the gradual release of

responsibility model to promote collaborative learning.
Includes a flexible pacing guide to meet the needs of each individual
class.

Integrates diagnostic assessment into each week’s lesson plan for

evaluating and monitoring students’ progress.

Gives detailed scoring points and sample answers to each constructed-

response item.

Uses a consistent instructional format from week to week that allows

for ease of implementation in any summer school classroom setting.

Summer Achievement Program/Passages TEACHER GUIDE 3

Using This Teacher Guide
Use the Pacing Guide on the following pages along with the following steps for each week’s
instruction to implement this program in your classroom.

Diagnostic Pre-Test: Begin the week by having students read and respond to the week’s
first passage. Use their work to diagnose students’ reading comprehension skills at this
Guided Reading Level.

Model: Use the week’s second passage to model for the whole class how to read and
respond to a nonfiction text. First, read aloud the entire passage, stopping to reread
difficult sections. Then, complete each selected response question as a class by first
reading the question and answer choices aloud and showing students how to go back to
the passage to locate or find evidence to support the correct answer. Finally, work with
the class to write answers to the constructed response questions and complete the writing
activity, again referring back to the passage often.
Repeat the above process with the week’s third passage, which is a fiction passage.

Guided Practice: Have students work in pairs or small groups to read and respond to the
week’s fourth passage. Provide support to students, reminding them to reread sections of
the text and to review their answers after they have finished.
Repeat for the week’s fifth passage. Provide support to student pairs as needed.

Independent Application: Have students read the week’s seventh passage

independently. When students have finished, review the answers with them using the
answers and scoring points in this Teacher Guide. Have any students who finish early read
one of the week’s leveled readers for additional close reading practice with a longer text.
Provide support to students who may be struggling. Guide them to locate the text that
helps them answer each question. Remind them that good readers reread sections or the
entire text to improve their understanding.
Repeat the above process with the week’s eighth and ninth passages.

Diagnostic Posttest: End the week by evaluating students’ progress by having students
read and respond to the week’s tenth passage posttest. Assign leveled readers to students
who have shown improvement and allow them to read independently. Continue to work
closely with students who may still be struggling. Reread the week’s tenth passage with
them and work together to respond to the questions. As time allows, repeat with other
passages that were read earlier in the week.

8 TEACHER GUIDE Summer Achievement Program/Passages

Grade 5 Pacing Guide
Week 1 Guided Reading Level R

Task Classroom Organization Estimated Time

Diagnostic Pretest Individual assessment 30–45 mins
DAY 1

Passage 1 “Camp Cavendish” (Fiction)

Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins
Passage 2 “Alien Invaders” (Nonfiction)
Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins
Passage 3 “Crying Wolf” (Fiction)
DAY 2

Guided Practice Student pairs with teacher support 30–45 mins

Passage 4 “Constantinople: The Emperor’s City”
(Nonfiction)
Guided Practice Student pairs 30–45 mins
DAY 3

Passage 5 “Where’s the Ice?” (Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work with teacher support 60–75 mins
Passage 6 “What Really Happened?” (Fiction) as needed
Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins
Passage 7 “How the Cherokee Lost Their Land”
(Nonfiction)
DAY 4

Additional Practice: The Invaders (Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins

Passage 8 “Getting There” (Nonfiction)
Additional Practice: Mapping Then and Now
(Nonfiction)
Independent Application Independent work 60–75 mins
Passage 9 “Taming a Wild River” (Nonfiction)
DAY 5

Additional Practice: Arie’s Journey (Fiction)

Posttest Individual assessment 30–45 mins

Passage 10 “From Fashion Plates to Blue Jeans”
(Nonfiction)

Summer Achievement Program/Passages TEACHER GUIDE 9

 Week 2 Guided Reading Level S

Task Classroom Organization Estimated Time

Diagnostic Pretest Individual assessment 30–45 mins
DAY 6

Passage 11 “How the Sun Was Made” (Fiction)

Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins
Passage 12 “Meet Mars” (Nonfiction)
Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins
DAY 7

Passage 13 “Crow Brings Daylight” (Fiction)

Guided Practice Student pairs with teacher support 30–45 mins
Passage 14 “Lost Cities” (Nonfiction)
Guided Practice Student pairs 30–45 mins
DAY 8

Passage 15 “Replacing Fossil Fuels” (Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work with teacher support 60–75 mins
Passage 16 “Gnowee and the Sun Torch” (Fiction) as needed
Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins
Passage 17 “A World Under Your Feet”
(Nonfiction)
Additional Practice: Rocks and Minerals
DAY 9

(Nonfiction)
Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins
Passage 18 “A River Long Ago” (Nonfiction)
Additional Practice: Digging Up Our Past
(Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work 60–75 mins

Passage 19 “Built to Move” (Nonfiction)
DAY 10

Additional Practice: The Climb (Fiction)

Posttest Individual assessment 30–45 mins

Passage 20 “The Truth About Wolves” (Nonfiction)

10 TEACHER GUIDE Summer Achievement Program/Passages

 Week 3 Guided Reading Level T

Task Classroom Organization Estimated Time

Diagnostic Pretest Individual assessment 30–45 mins
DAY 11

Passage 21 “Sports Mad Magazine” (Fiction)

Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins

Passage 22 “The First Clocks” (Nonfiction)

Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins

DAY 12

Passage 23 “Washing-Machine Blues” (Fiction)

Guided Practice Student pairs with teacher support 30–45 mins

Passage 24 “Producers and Consumers”
(Nonfiction)
Guided Practice Student pairs 30–45 mins
DAY 13

Passage 25 “A Bold Plan” (Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work with teacher support 60–75 mins

Passage 26 “An Alarming Incident” (Fiction) as needed

Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins

Passage 27 “All About Oil” (Nonfiction)
Additional Practice: Meet the Beetles
DAY 14

(Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins

Passage 28 “Disease Detectives” (Nonfiction)
Additional Practice: How to Wreck a Ship
(Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work 60–75 mins

Passage 29 “The Secret of Silk” (Nonfiction)
DAY 15

Additional Practice: Earth Beneath Your Feet

(Nonfiction)
Posttest Individual assessment 30–45 mins
Passage 30 “Animal Communication” (Nonfiction)

Summer Achievement Program/Passages TEACHER GUIDE 11

 Week 4 Guided Reading Level U

Task Classroom Organization Estimated Time

Diagnostic Pretest Individual assessment 30–45 mins
DAY 16

Passage 31 “The Cackleberry Creek Foghorn”

(Fiction)
Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins
Passage 32 “The World of Worms” (Nonfiction)

Model Teacher-led whole class instruction 60–75 mins

DAY 17

Passage 33 “Casey at the Bat” (Fiction)

Guided Practice Student pairs with teacher support 30–45 mins

Passage 34 “A Pirate’s Work Is Never Done”
(Nonfiction)
Guided Practice Student pairs 30–45 mins
DAY 18

Passage 35 “Cesar Chavez” (Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work with teacher support 60–75 mins

Passage 36 “Paul Revere’s Ride” (Fiction) as needed

Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins

Passage 37 “City on the Lake” (Nonfiction)
DAY 19

Additional Practice: What a Job! (Nonfiction)

Independent Application Independent work 40–60 mins

Passage 38 “Shoes Have Changed” (Nonfiction)
Additional Practice: Cells to Systems
(Nonfiction)
Independent Application Independent work 60–75 mins
Passage 39 “It’s a Snap” (Nonfiction)
DAY 20

Additional Practice: They Dared to Dream

(Nonfiction)
Posttest Individual assessment 30–45 mins
Passage 40 “The First Flying Machines”
(Nonfiction)

12 TEACHER GUIDE Summer Achievement Program/Passages

 Grade 5 | Passage 4 | Level R

“Constantinople: The Emperor’s City”

Selected Responses
1. C (RI.5.1, RI.5.10)
2. D (RI.5.8, RI.5.10)
3. A (RI.5.5, RI.5.10)

Constructed Responses
4. Scoring Points
2 points—correctly cites two or more details from the article that show Justinian
was a good emperor; Sample answer: “The government gave citizens free bread,
along with some meat, oil, and wine.” “Justinian had his builders construct stone
aqueducts, or channels, to carry water into the city.”
1 point—cites only one detail from the article
0 points—does not give a logical answer
(RI.5.1, RI.5.10, W.5.4, W.5.10)
5. Scoring Points
1 point—correctly describes Theodora’s role based on details in the article; Sample
answer: Theodora played an important role in the success of Constantinople
because when Justinian wanted to flee during the riot, Theodora “persuaded him
to stay.”
0 points—does not give a logical answer
(RI.5.3, RI.5.10, W.5.4, W.5.10)

Writing Activity
Scoring Points
Sample 2-Point Answer
Main Idea: The passage is mostly about life in Constantinople when Justinian was
emperor.
Details (three such as the following): Justinian made the people pay high taxes.
The people rioted, and the city burned. Justinian rebuilt the city, including a new
church.
(RI.5.2, RI.5.10, W.5.4, W.5.10)

16 TEACHER GUIDE Summer Achievement Program/Passages