Grade: 7th Subject: Language Arts Materials needed: Worksheet Expectation(s): Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, point of view, or perspective in text Teaching and learning tips/strategies: This passage is about the unsolved mystery of crop circles and can be a good jumping off point to discuss other mysteries and their possible solutions. In addition to the comprehension activity, there is a writing activity at the end to further enhance this lesson. If you and your student have access to the Internet, you can also search for a mystery of interest to your student. Search for Stonehenge, the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, or any other mystery that your student is interested in. Have fun! Don t forget to praise your student s efforts!
Crop Circles By Vickie Chao 1 In the 1970s, "crop circles" began showing up randomly all over the U.K. Like their name suggested, "crop circles" were circles found in a field of grain or other crops. The designs of those circles varied. Sometimes, they were quite simple. But other times, they were rather complicated. 2 Needless to say, the strange appearances of those crop circles caught everybody by surprise. But as it later turned out, they were not an exclusive affair in the U.K. Similar incidents were also reported in other parts of the world, such as Japan, Canada, and the United States. The spread of crop circles intrigued many people. Almost immediately, a new field of study was set up just to understand why and how crop circles were made. That new field of study was called cereology. 3 Cereologists (experts of cereology) claim that the crop circles of the 1970s were nothing new. They believe that the world's first documented crop circle was actually found on a woodcut made in 1678. The woodcut was titled "The Mowing Devil or Strange News out of Hartford-shire." It told the tale of an English farmer arguing with a mower over the price for harvesting his field. The farmer did not want to pay the rate the mower demanded. He tried to bargain, but the mower refused to give in. In a fit of rage, the farmer swore that he would rather have the devil do the work. The next day, the farmer woke up and found parts of his field had been "neatly mowed by the devil, or some infernal spirit." The parts that had been mowed were circular-shaped. In the end, the farmer was so terrified by what he saw that he never entered the field to collect his harvest. Beneath the story, the woodcut depicted a strange-looking creature mowing the field and making a circular design. That strange-looking creature was obviously the devil himself. 4 Of course, naming the devil the maker of crop circles is only one theory out of many. 5 An alternative and very popular view points the finger at UFOs. Several witnesses had come forward, claiming that they had seen flying saucers hovering over a field. When they went to inspect the area the following day, they found crop circles. 6 Apart from citing the devil or aliens, some people believe that a cyclonic storm might be the real cause of crop circles. 7 All three arguments sound very convincing. But which one is right? Perhaps the answer is none of them! 8 In 1991, David Chorley and Douglas Bower admitted that they were the ones who made the crop circles of the 1970s in the U.K. To prove the claim, they explained in detail how they created crop circles. They even showed the tools they used. Those tools were amazingly simple, just a stake, a rope, some boards, baseball caps, and sighting wires. To make a crop circle, Chorley and Bower first pounded a stake into the ground.
They attached one end of a rope to the stake and the other end to either one of them. As Chorley or Bower walked around the stake, with the rope stretching to its full length, he was really marking the perimeter of a soon-to-be-made crop circle. Once that was done, the duo used boards to flatten the plants inside the circle. If they wanted to make a more elaborate design, they would wear their baseball caps mounted with sighting wires. By focusing on a distant object through the sighting wires, they were able to walk a straight line in the middle of the night. 9 No doubt, Chorley and Bower's confession stung the world. If what they said was true, then the crop circle mystery was no mystery at all. It was a mere hoax, meant as a practical joke! But were Chorley and Bower telling the truth? Or were they bluffing? Cereologists certainly were inclined to believe the latter. They continue to insist that crop circles were the works of supernatural forces. But their views are now in the minority. To most people, crop circles are no longer unexplainable events. The myth was busted!
Name Crop Circles Date 1. Which of the following about crop circles is true? The world's first crop circle was discovered in 1991. Chorley and Bower said that they created the crop circles of the 1970s. Scientists now have concrete evidence linking UFOs to crop circles. Crop circles can only be found in the U.K. 3. According to the woodcut made in the 17th century, who made crop circles? God The mower The farmer The devil 5. What is a cereologist? A person who creates crop circles A person who studies crop circles A person who grows cereals A person who eats cereals 7. Which of the following about the woodcut made in 1678 is correct? It was about some strange news from Hartford-shire. It was about the tale of an English farmer and his gardener. It was about a severe earthquake. It talked about aliens making crop circles. 2. Which of the following was not a tool used by Chorley and Bower in their making of a crop circle? A rope A sighting wire A mowing machine A stake 4. In what year was the myth of crop circles busted? 1991 2003 1978 1984 6. What did Chorley and Bower use to help them walk a straight line in the middle of the night? A walking stick A baseball cap mounted with a sighting wire A measuring tape All of the above 8. When did crop circles begin attracting attention from people all around the world? In the 1980s In the 1920s In the 1950s In the 1970s
Name Date Crop Circles Suppose you get a chance to solve one mystery. Which one would you like to try your hand at? Describe the mystery. And, using your imagination, solve the puzzle.