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Topic: Craft and Structure (ELA - Reading: Informational Text)

from "THE WILD HORSES OF ASSATEAGUE ISLAND"

A National Treasure 
(1) The wild horses of Assateague Island are descendants of domesticated animals brought to the island over 300 years ago. Horses tough enough to survive the scorching heat, abundant insects, stormy weather and poor quality food found on this windswept barrier island have formed a unique wild horse society. Enjoy their beauty from a distance, and you can help make sure these extraordinary wild horses will continue to thrive on Assateague Island. 

(2) "My treasures do not click together or glitter. - They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night." -Bedouin proverb. 

Where did they come from? 
Were the horses shipwreck survivors ... 
(3) Local folklore describes the Assateague horses as survivors of a shipwreck off the Virginia coast. While this dramatic tale of struggle and survival is popular, there are no records yet that confirm it. 

... or settlers' horses? 
(4) During the 17th century free-roaming horses, cows, sheep and pigs caused expensive crop damage to local farms. Farmers were required to pay taxes on all mainland livestock and fence them in. 

(5) Like people in the 21st century, these resourceful coastal residents looked for ways to avoid paying this tax. They turned to nearby Assateague Island with its abundance of food, shelter and a natural "corral" made of water to solve their problem. 

(6) It is likely that modern Assateague horses are descendants of those hardy animals turned loose on the island to graze tax-free. 
Living the wild life in Maryland 

(7) Assateague's horses are uniquely adapted to survive on a barrier island. How do they do it? 

What do they eat? 
(8) The horses spend most of their time grazing on abundant but nutrient-poor saltmarsh cordgrass, saltmeadow hay and beach grass. The horses' short stature is a result of hundreds of years of adaptation to this low quality diet. Genetically they are considered horses, even though they are now pony size. 

(9) The Assateague horses drink over twice the amount of water that domesticated horses will due to their salty food supply. All that drinking combined with a high salt diet contributes to their bloated appearance. 

Where do they live throughout the year? 
(10) Spring brings cool, rainy weather and fresh plant growth to the island. Many of the horses live in the marshes close to their best food sources. Foals are usually born in late spring and live with their mothers in a family group called a "band. 11 Each band is usually made up of 2-10 mares, their offspring, and a stallion. 

(11) Hot, humid, and full of insects, summer brings a new set of challenges. The horses escape the mosquitoes and flies of the marsh by spending more time on the beach and in the surf, letting the refreshing ocean breezes carry away airborne pests. Cooler fall weather and fewer insects allow the bands to move from the beaches back to the marshes and their abundant grasses. 

(12) The horses prefer to browse in shrub thickets during the damp, chilly, winter season. Their thick, furry coats will protect them from ferocious winter winds and the occasional snowstorm. 

Do they receive veterinary care? 
(13) While action may be taken to end the suffering of a gravely ill, seriously injured, or dying horse, no measures are taken to prolong the lives of Maryland's wild horses. As with other species of Assateague wildlife, horses that are sick or weak do not survive. This helps maintain a hardy, healthy population of wild horses. 

(14) Virginia's horses are privately owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and receive some veterinary care. 

Where can you see the wild horses? 
In Maryland 
(15) Maryland's horses are owned and managed by the National Park Service. They are free-roaming wildlife and could be anywhere in the park. During the summer months many bands can be found on the beach. You can often see the horses and other wildlife by driving slowly along park roads. Protect island habitat by parking only in designated parking areas. The "Life of the Forest11 and "Life of the Marsh11 trails are good places to look, especially during spring, fall and winter seasons. 

(16) Do not feed or pet the horses. Horses that learn to come up to the road are hit and killed by cars. 

In Virginia 
(17) Virginia's horses are privately owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and are fenced in large enclosures. 

(18) Look for the horses in the marshes along Beach Road and from the observation platform on the Woodland Trail. 

(Text and photographs from "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island," National Park Service, US Department of the Interior.)

WILD PONIES OF CHINCOTEAGUE
by Annika Brynn Jenkins

(1) The last Wednesday and Thursday of every July are amazing days at Chincoteague (SHING-kuh-teeg). That's pony-penning time on this island just off the coast of Virginia. 

(2) The ponies normally live wild on nearby Assateague Island. To keep the herd from getting too big, some new foals are sold each year at auction on Chincoteague. To get there, the ponies are rounded up and herded across the narrow channel between the two islands. 

Wednesday Morning-Really Early! 
(3) My family and I woke at 4:30 in the morning to drive to Chincoteague. I was so excited, I jumped out of bed. The drive from our home in Virginia Beach was just two hours, but it seemed like a week. 

(4) After we got there, we took a small boat into the channel. The weather was wet and dreary, and I felt like an icicle as raindrops fell cold against my cheeks. But in my mind I was dancing! All I could think was, It's almost time for the ponies to cross! 

(5) First, I heard faint whinnying sounds drifting through the salty air. Then I could see the ponies on the Assateague shore. The "Saltwater Cowboys" were rounding them up. I loved the ponies at first sight! I wondered if they were thinking, What's happening? Where are we going? 

(6) The cowboys waited a bit for the tide to change. Meanwhile, I imagined myself flying through the wind on a black-and-white mare. Oh, how I wished I could have a horse like that! Then, all of a sudden, I heard a shout from the crowd on the Chincoteague shore. I nearly jumped overboard with excitement! The ponies were stepping into the channel. 

(7) Before I knew it, pony heads were bobbing in the water. The swim across the channel didn't take long, but I wish it could have lasted a lifetime. It was so beautiful that I took a photograph of it in my mind. 

Going to Town 
(8)  After the crossing, the ponies had a chance to rest. Some slept, and some of the foals suckled their mothers' milk. They were getting their strength back for the next event. 

(9)  That would be the pony parade to the carnival grounds, where we would watch the auction. I could see a ferris wheel and a roller coaster, but I kept going. I wanted only to see the ponies. The cowboys were herding them right down Main Street! 

(10) My sisters and I sloshed through the mud to get to the corral where the ponies were held for the auction. I couldn't believe it when I got to pet a brown-and- white foal through the fence. It felt like love itself! His coat was coarse and smelled like a salty sea breeze. I was surprised that his nose felt so soft, like velvet. I imagined him thinking, 'Can I go home with you?'

(11) Later, I got to ride a tame Chincoteague pony. When I first climbed on, a shiver of excitement went down my spine. He was ready to go, and I wanted to gallop away with him. 

Day of the Auction 
(12) There were so many people at the auction, I couldn't see what was happening. I had to stand on my tiptoes to get a glimpse of each foal that was brought out. But I could hear the bidding and the crowd going wild. When the price was as high as it could go, the auctioneer yelled, "Sold!" Then another foal would come out, and the bidding would start all over again. 

(13) After it was over, we visited Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island. There were tall grasses, shady trees, sandy beaches, and mosquitoes-lots of mosquitoes. I also saw the corral where the ponies stayed before their swim. 

Going Home 
(14) On Friday morning, the ponies that weren't sold at auction swam back across the channel. I sat on the rocks on Chincoteague's shore and looked to Assateague. It's a nice, peaceful place, I thought. The ponies are lucky to be home where there's grass to graze and land to roam. 

(15) In the afternoon, I got to ride again. The pony was strong and spirited, and I had to hold him back. Riding him is something I'll always remember. And how could I ever forget the gallant ponies swimming across the channel-their
hearts so full of courage and wildness!
 

(Wild Ponies of Chincoteague Island by Annika Brynn Jenkins. Text copyright © 2004 by National Wildlife Federation. Reprinted from the July 2004 issue of Ranger Rick® Magazine, with the permission of the copyright owner, the National Wildlife Federation®)

from "THE WILD HORSES OF ASSATEAGUE ISLAND"

A National Treasure 
(1) The wild horses of Assateague Island are descendants of domesticated animals brought to the island over 300 years ago. Horses tough enough to survive the scorching heat, abundant insects, stormy weather and poor quality food found on this windswept barrier island have formed a unique wild horse society. Enjoy their beauty from a distance, and you can help make sure these extraordinary wild horses will continue to thrive on Assateague Island. 

(2) "My treasures do not click together or glitter. - They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night." -Bedouin proverb. 

Where did they come from? 
Were the horses shipwreck survivors ... 
(3) Local folklore describes the Assateague horses as survivors of a shipwreck off the Virginia coast. While this dramatic tale of struggle and survival is popular, there are no records yet that confirm it. 

... or settlers' horses? 
(4) During the 17th century free-roaming horses, cows, sheep and pigs caused expensive crop damage to local farms. Farmers were required to pay taxes on all mainland livestock and fence them in. 

(5) Like people in the 21st century, these resourceful coastal residents looked for ways to avoid paying this tax. They turned to nearby Assateague Island with its abundance of food, shelter and a natural "corral" made of water to solve their problem. 

(6) It is likely that modern Assateague horses are descendants of those hardy animals turned loose on the island to graze tax-free. 
Living the wild life in Maryland 

(7) Assateague's horses are uniquely adapted to survive on a barrier island. How do they do it? 

What do they eat? 
(8) The horses spend most of their time grazing on abundant but nutrient-poor saltmarsh cordgrass, saltmeadow hay and beach grass. The horses' short stature is a result of hundreds of years of adaptation to this low quality diet. Genetically they are considered horses, even though they are now pony size. 

(9) The Assateague horses drink over twice the amount of water that domesticated horses will due to their salty food supply. All that drinking combined with a high salt diet contributes to their bloated appearance. 

Where do they live throughout the year? 
(10) Spring brings cool, rainy weather and fresh plant growth to the island. Many of the horses live in the marshes close to their best food sources. Foals are usually born in late spring and live with their mothers in a family group called a "band. 11 Each band is usually made up of 2-10 mares, their offspring, and a stallion. 

(11) Hot, humid, and full of insects, summer brings a new set of challenges. The horses escape the mosquitoes and flies of the marsh by spending more time on the beach and in the surf, letting the refreshing ocean breezes carry away airborne pests. Cooler fall weather and fewer insects allow the bands to move from the beaches back to the marshes and their abundant grasses. 

(12) The horses prefer to browse in shrub thickets during the damp, chilly, winter season. Their thick, furry coats will protect them from ferocious winter winds and the occasional snowstorm. 

Do they receive veterinary care? 
(13) While action may be taken to end the suffering of a gravely ill, seriously injured, or dying horse, no measures are taken to prolong the lives of Maryland's wild horses. As with other species of Assateague wildlife, horses that are sick or weak do not survive. This helps maintain a hardy, healthy population of wild horses. 

(14) Virginia's horses are privately owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and receive some veterinary care. 

Where can you see the wild horses? 
In Maryland 
(15) Maryland's horses are owned and managed by the National Park Service. They are free-roaming wildlife and could be anywhere in the park. During the summer months many bands can be found on the beach. You can often see the horses and other wildlife by driving slowly along park roads. Protect island habitat by parking only in designated parking areas. The "Life of the Forest11 and "Life of the Marsh11 trails are good places to look, especially during spring, fall and winter seasons. 

(16) Do not feed or pet the horses. Horses that learn to come up to the road are hit and killed by cars. 

In Virginia 
(17) Virginia's horses are privately owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and are fenced in large enclosures. 

(18) Look for the horses in the marshes along Beach Road and from the observation platform on the Woodland Trail.
 

(Text and photographs from "The Wild Horses of Assateague Island," National Park Service, US Department of the Interior.)
WILD PONIES OF CHINCOTEAGUE
by Annika Brynn Jenkins

(1) The last Wednesday and Thursday of every July are amazing days at Chincoteague (SHING-kuh-teeg). That's pony-penning time on this island just off the coast of Virginia. 

(2) The ponies normally live wild on nearby Assateague Island. To keep the herd from getting too big, some new foals are sold each year at auction on Chincoteague. To get there, the ponies are rounded up and herded across the narrow channel between the two islands. 

Wednesday Morning-Really Early! 
(3) My family and I woke at 4:30 in the morning to drive to Chincoteague. I was so excited, I jumped out of bed. The drive from our home in Virginia Beach was just two hours, but it seemed like a week. 

(4) After we got there, we took a small boat into the channel. The weather was wet and dreary, and I felt like an icicle as raindrops fell cold against my cheeks. But in my mind I was dancing! All I could think was, It's almost time for the ponies to cross! 

(5) First, I heard faint whinnying sounds drifting through the salty air. Then I could see the ponies on the Assateague shore. The "Saltwater Cowboys" were rounding them up. I loved the ponies at first sight! I wondered if they were thinking, What's happening? Where are we going? 

(6) The cowboys waited a bit for the tide to change. Meanwhile, I imagined myself flying through the wind on a black-and-white mare. Oh, how I wished I could have a horse like that! Then, all of a sudden, I heard a shout from the crowd on the Chincoteague shore. I nearly jumped overboard with excitement! The ponies were stepping into the channel. 

(7) Before I knew it, pony heads were bobbing in the water. The swim across the channel didn't take long, but I wish it could have lasted a lifetime. It was so beautiful that I took a photograph of it in my mind. 

Going to Town 
(8)  After the crossing, the ponies had a chance to rest. Some slept, and some of the foals suckled their mothers' milk. They were getting their strength back for the next event. 

(9)  That would be the pony parade to the carnival grounds, where we would watch the auction. I could see a ferris wheel and a roller coaster, but I kept going. I wanted only to see the ponies. The cowboys were herding them right down Main Street! 

(10) My sisters and I sloshed through the mud to get to the corral where the ponies were held for the auction. I couldn't believe it when I got to pet a brown-and- white foal through the fence. It felt like love itself! His coat was coarse and smelled like a salty sea breeze. I was surprised that his nose felt so soft, like velvet. I imagined him thinking, 'Can I go home with you?'

(11) Later, I got to ride a tame Chincoteague pony. When I first climbed on, a shiver of excitement went down my spine. He was ready to go, and I wanted to gallop away with him. 

Day of the Auction 
(12) There were so many people at the auction, I couldn't see what was happening. I had to stand on my tiptoes to get a glimpse of each foal that was brought out. But I could hear the bidding and the crowd going wild. When the price was as high as it could go, the auctioneer yelled, "Sold!" Then another foal would come out, and the bidding would start all over again. 

(13) After it was over, we visited Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island. There were tall grasses, shady trees, sandy beaches, and mosquitoes-lots of mosquitoes. I also saw the corral where the ponies stayed before their swim. 

Going Home 
(14) On Friday morning, the ponies that weren't sold at auction swam back across the channel. I sat on the rocks on Chincoteague's shore and looked to Assateague. It's a nice, peaceful place, I thought. The ponies are lucky to be home where there's grass to graze and land to roam. 

(15) In the afternoon, I got to ride again. The pony was strong and spirited, and I had to hold him back. Riding him is something I'll always remember. And how could I ever forget the gallant ponies swimming across the channel-their
hearts so full of courage and wildness!
 

(Wild Ponies of Chincoteague Island by Annika Brynn Jenkins. Text copyright © 2004 by National Wildlife Federation. Reprinted from the July 2004 issue of Ranger Rick® Magazine, with the permission of the copyright owner, the National Wildlife Federation®)

IN THUNDER AND RAIN, CHINCOTEAGUE PONIES MAKE ANNUAL SWIM
by Stefanie Dazio

(1) Some had arrived before dawn Wednesday, staking out the best spot where they might see the famed wild horses of Chincoteague make their swim. But a freak thunderstorm, a full moon and a high tide threatened to derail the annual celebration and sent thousands to seek shelter. 

(2) Thunder boomed and rain soaked the marshland as thousands watched about 130 ponies swim from nearby Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. Many were forced to watch the ponies cross the channel with water pounding their backs and lightning crashing overhead. 

(3) But the horses kept paddling on. 

(4) "We had no idea whatsoever about this storm," said Denise Bowden, vice president of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. Some of the foals are auctioned off to raise money for the department. 

(5) "It just seemed like it came out of nowhere," she added. 

(6) The annual pony swim-this year's was the 88th-is part of a week-long series of events on Chincoteague and Assateague designed to thin out the herd of wild ponies. It culminates with the auction of the foals, about 50 this year. 

(7) The event has seen rain before, but nothing like Wednesday's weather, Bowden said. 

(8) She was one of the fire officials on hand closely watching radar and encouraging people crossing a marsh to keep going. 

(9) "The mud will wash off," Bowden yelled into a loudspeaker. "The memories will last forever." 

(10) The swim has been popularized by Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague," which was later made into a movie. Thousands come from across the United States and beyond. 

(11) The ponies began their five-minute crossing of the Assateague Channel about 11:30 a.m., herded toward Chincoteague Island by the Saltwater Cowboys - volunteers, many of them firefighters. 

(12) The swim takes place during slack tide, which is the period between tides when there is no current. 

(13) This year, though, the ponies faced a very high tide, according to Saltwater Cowboy Tom Clements, who has been shepherding the ponies through the swim since the 1970s. "This is as high as I've ever seen." 

(14) "It was a little dangerous," Clements said after the swim, noting that he wasn't sure which direction the storm was moving. 

(15) No ponies were hurt, Bowden said, but a few of the cowboys's horses suffered cuts on their legs from shells. "Outside of the weather, it was a perfect swim," she said. 

(16) Andrea Iwanik, 39, of Silver Spring came to the swim with her family for the first time this year. She said she arrived around 8:30 a.m. 

(17) "We waited 2 1/2 hours for torrential downpour and a little bit of pony," she said. 

(18) Iwanik had hoped for a better view of the crossing, but she said she would return another year. 

(19) "I think we have a good story to tell," she said. 

(20) Iwanik came from Maryland, but others traveled across the country for the swim and staked out their spots beginning in the early hours of the morning. Between 30,000 and 35,000 people came, Bowden said. 

(21) Poppy Hendrickson-Hoersting, 10, convinced her family to fly from Oregon to see the swim. She's "wild about horses," her dad, Leo Hoersting, said, and is a big fan of Henry's book. 

(22) The family flew from Oregon to Ohio, where they met up with more relatives, and drove to Virginia. 

(23) Pam Richerson, 60, of Hutto, Tex., grew up reading the "Misty" book and has wanted to see the swim for decades. 

(24) One of her husband's first gifts to her was a first edition of the book. 

(25) "I'd say we've been planning it for 36 years," her husband, John Richerson, laughed. 

(26) "My bucket list is checked off," Pam Richerson said. 

(From the Washington Post, 7/24/2013. © 2013 Washington Post Company. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited.)

THE PEANUT MAN

(1) George Washington Carver was always interested in plants. When he was a child, he was known as the "plant doctor." He had a secret garden where he grew all kinds of plants. People would ask him for advice when they had sick plants. Sometimes he'd take their plants to his garden and nurse them back to health. 

(2) Later, when he was teaching at Tuskegee Institute, he put his plant skills to good use. Many people in the South had been growing only cotton on their land. Cotton plants use most of the nutrients in the soil. (Nutrients provide nourishment to plants.) So the soil becomes "worn out" after a few years. Eventually, cotton will no longer grow on this land. 

(3) This was especially bad for poor African American farmers, who relied on selling cotton to support themselves. Carver was dedicated to helping those farmers, so he came up with a plan. 

(4) Carver knew that certain plants put nutrients back into the soil. One of those plants is the peanut! Peanuts are also a source of protein. 

(5) Carver thought that if those farmers planted peanuts, the plants would help restore their soil, provide food for their animals, and provide protein for their families-quite a plant! In 1896 peanuts were not even recognized as a crop in the United States, but Carver would help change that. 

George Washington Carver gathering soil samples. 
(6) Carver told farmers to rotate their crops: plant cotton one year, then the next year plant peanuts and other soil-restoring plants, like peas and sweet potatoes. It worked! The peanut plants grew and produced lots of peanuts. The plants added enough nutrients to the soil so cotton grew the next year. Now the farmers had lots of peanuts-too many for their families and animals-and no place to sell the extras. Again, Carver had a plan. Do you know what he did? 

(7) Carver invented all kinds of things made out of peanuts. He wrote down more than 300 uses for peanuts, including peanut milk, peanut paper, and peanut soap. Carver thought that if farmers started making things out of peanuts, they'd have to buy fewer things and would be more self-sufficient. And if other people started making things out of peanuts, they would want to buy the extra peanuts, so the farmers would make more money. Although not many of Carver's peanut products were ever mass-produced, he did help spread the word about peanuts. 

(8) Peanuts became more and more popular. By 1920 there were enough peanut farmers to form the United Peanut Association of America (UPAA). In 1921 the UPAA asked Carver to speak to the U.S. Congress about the many uses for peanuts. Soon the whole country had heard of George Washington Carver, the Peanut Man! And by 1940 peanuts had become one of the top six crops in the U.S. 

(The Peanut Man from America's Library - Public Domain)

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