Download The Return of the Mammoth

Main Idea and Supporting Details
Take
A Side
Debate
Directions: Read the article. Study the facts.
Decide what you think. Go to
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The Return of the Mammoth
Scientists plan to bring back an extinct animal.
Good idea . . . or disaster? By Justin O’Neill
I
magine being face-to-face with a woolly
mammoth. It would be quite a sight.
Scientists believe it would tower at 11
feet tall. The woolly mammoth would
have a sloped back, a long, powerful trunk,
and sharp, curved tusks that stretch up to 10
feet. Its thick hair would be up to three feet
long. It would weigh six tons—about as much
as a bus.
You’ve probably never seen a giant
furry elephant before. Actually,
you definitely haven’t. The
species has been extinct for
thousands of years.
But a few years from now,
you might be able to see a
woolly mammoth for yourself.
Scientists believe they have the
technology to re-create one.
Meet the Mammoth
A team of South Korean
and Russian scientists plan to
clone a woolly mammoth. How
will they do it?
Several woolly mammoth
bodies have already been
discovered in Siberia, an
icy region in Russia. The
scientists plan to take cells
from these frozen mammoths.
26
s t o ry w o r k s
In a laboratory, they’ll use them to create a new
cluster of cells called an embryo. The embryo
would be placed into the womb of a living
female elephant. That elephant would then give
birth to a baby woolly mammoth.
The scientists believe the whole process
will take five years. Many scientists and animal
lovers can’t wait. It will be so exciting, they
think, to be able to bring back to life a creature
that has been extinct for thousands
of years. People would travel from around the
world for the chance to see a woolly mammoth.
By observing the way the creature looks
and acts, scientists might make brand-new
discoveries about the history of animal life.
A Big Challenge
Other experts aren’t so sure about the woolly
mammoth project. One big question is what to
do with a mammoth. Earth has changed in the
thousands of years since these animals roamed
the planet. Where would the creature live, and
would it be able to survive in today’s climate?
Then there’s the cost: Some believe that
the money being spent on the experiment could
be better spent on other important scientific
projects, such as fighting disease.
But the South Korean and Russian
scientists are sticking to their plan. They
admit they have a big challenge ahead. There
is no guarantee that they will succeed, but
they’re hopeful.
Besides, scientists in South Korea have
already cloned dogs, coyotes, a cat, a pig, and
a cow—why not a mammoth? n
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Whatu Is cloning a woolly mammoth a good idea?
Do Yo ? Go back to the article and find information to support each side.
Think Write the information on the lines below.
Woolly mammoth: Gary Hanna; Illustrations: Lance Lekander
YES
Sounds
awesome!
NO
1
1
2
2
3
3
Don’t mess with
Mother Nature!
Study the points on both sides of the argument—and think about
your own opinion. State your opinion in one sentence below. This can become
the main-idea statement for a paragraph on this topic.
Find an
activity
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s c h o l a s t i c . c o m / s t o r y w o r k s • Sep t e m be r 2 0 1 2
27
O p i n i o n Wr i t i n g
activity
“The Return of the Mammoth”
September 2012
Name:_______________________________ Date:_____________
Write a Persuasive Essay
Directions: Read the article “The Return of the Mammoth” on pages 26-27 of the September 2012 issue of
Storyworks. Fill in the chart on page 27. Then follow the steps below to write a persuasive essay on whether
cloning a woolly mammoth is a good idea.
Step 1: Choose your side
A persuasive essay is all about expressing a strong opinion and trying to convince your readers to agree
with you. So your first step is to decide what you think about the idea of cloning a mammoth. Check the
box next to the point of view you will support in your essay.
Yes, sounds awesome!
No, don’t mess with Mother Nature!
Step 2: WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE
The topic sentence is where you tell your readers what the essay is going to be about. In a persuasive
essay, it’s where you state your opinion—strongly! Write your topic sentence on the lines below,
stating either that cloning a mammoth is a great idea or that it presents serious problems. The
exact wording is up to you.
Your topic sentence: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Step 3: Summarize the issue
Let the readers know a little about the issue you will be writing about. This is not your opinion, it’s just a
very brief summary of the issue. In this case, you want to explain that scientists have discovered a way to
possibly bring an extinct animal back to life and that this is causing debate among many.
Your summary of the issue: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2012 Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.
Continued on Next page
>
Write a Persuasive Essay cont’d
Step 4: Find your support
Guess what? You’ve already done most of this part! Your three supporting points are listed in either
the “Yes” or the “No” column on page 27. Copy your three points on the numbered lines below. In the
next paragraph of your essay, you will state your three supporting points. After each one, you should add
details backing up that point. Write down one detail related to each point on the Detail lines below.
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Detail: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Detail: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Detail: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Step 5: MENTION THE OTHER SIDE
Pick one of the strongest points from the other side of the argument. Then identify why you think that idea is
wrong or flawed. Write two to three sentences explaining the point and why it is wrong.
Argument against the other side: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Step 6: Write a conclusion
The last paragraph of your essay is the conclusion. You should write two to three sentences restating your
main points—but don’t add any new ideas. Remember, this is the last thing your readers will see, so make
sure to remind them why your argument is correct.
Step 7: Start writing
Now that you have the key ingredients for your essay, you are ready to start writing. Use the Storyworks
“Persuasive Essay Checklist” to guide your writing and help you edit your work.
© 2012 Scholastic Inc. Teachers may make copies of this page to distribute to their students.