Melvin and Morris Explore Roatan, Honduras!

Melvin and Morris Explore Roatan, Honduras! Morris and I have never seen a rainforest before, so we can t wait for our first glimpse of Roatan! Mom said we needed to have a good breakfast because we are going on a hike in the rainforest. In fact, we are going to climb to the top of a very high hill called Mount Mariah. Mount Mariah is 597 feet tall. I plan to ask mom to carry me, because I get tired very easily! Morris said he could climb up all the way by himself. I ll believe that when I see it! We decided to have breakfast at the buffet on deck 14. Morris and I brought our camera so we could take photos of Roatan as we sail into the port. I chose fresh fruit and a sausage and cheese omelet. Morris ate a waffle, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, 2 blueberry muffins and hash browns. I think Morris will need a nap after eating all of that for breakfast! Finally, we saw Roatan. I took a lot of pictures. Here is one showing big hills on Roatan. The rainforest was shrouded by mist, just like in pictures I have seen in books. I could hardly see the rainforest through the mist. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I cleared my throat and said, Last night I read about Roatan, mom. Pirates used to live here. Maybe we ll find one or two lurking in the rainforest! Mom sighed, Melvin, you are obsessed with pirates! I don t know what obsessed means, but I just can t stop thinking about them. I replied. Mom laughed. That s what obsessed means, Melvin. 1

After we finished breakfast, it was time to disembark. We gathered all of our things and walked down to deck 4. Photographers were waiting to take our picture as we stepped off the ship. Two crew members were dressed as pirates! Morris and I had our picture taken with them. When we reached the end of the dock we found our tour group. We drove to the foot of Mount Mariah in a small van. Our guides gave each of us a walking stick before we began our hike. It had rained that morning so the ground was moist and a little slippery. Our guide said we might see parrots that live in the rain forest. We looked and looked but didn t see any parrots. We did see a herd of cows. Unfortunately, they were walking down the same trail we were trying to walk up! The trail was muddy, rocky and very steep, so sharing it with the cows was a little scary. Mom picked us up and put us into her backpack! Morris and I didn t complain. We were too tired to complain. Morris said he wished he hadn t eaten so much for breakfast. I didn t even say, I told you so. Finally, we reached the top of the muddy trail and mom put us down in the grass. We felt hot and sweaty. Mom looked hot and sweaty, too! Rainforests are very humid. This means that there is a lot of water vapor in the air. Morris rolled in the grass. When he got up his antlers were muddy brown. Look, Melvin, I m camouflaged, he said. 2

This is a picture of us and a friend we met along the way. Morris got his antlers muddy, so they look brown instead of orange. Mom said he needs a bath! The canopy of the rainforest was so thick it looked as though we could walk along the tops of the trees! Mom was very excited to find an area where they had recently slashed and burned the rainforest to plant banana trees. She was excited because like us, she had read about slash and burn farming, but had never seen it. Slash and burn farming is an ancient custom in rainforest areas. People cut down the trees in an area and burn them. All of the nutrients in the trees mix with the soil and make the soil fertile, or good to grow things in. Banana trees had been planted in this area and were beginning to grow. Our guide said it would take at least a year before they would be tall enough to bear bananas. 3

This is a picture showing the area of the rainforest that had been slashed and burned. The small, green trees in the middle are the banana trees. Bananas develop on a banana stem called a heart which hangs from the tree. The stem has rows of bananas on it called hands. There can be up to 20 bananas in a hand. The stem can have from 3-20 hands of bananas on it. The stem can weigh from 66-110 pounds! The stem in the picture to the left has 5 rows or hands, of bananas on it. Each tree usually produces, or makes, one stem of bananas. After the bananas ripen, the tree dies. One or two new trees grow from the base of the old tree! 4

Next, our guides led us into the rainforest. Just like we had read in books, it was much darker on the forest floor! We walked carefully along the narrow trail. Suddenly, dad said, Look a tarantula! It s so well camouflaged, you can hardly see it! Mom told him not to touch it. He picked it up anyway! She didn t have to worry about me. There was no way I was going to touch it. The tarantula was big and hairy. Dad held it in his hand so Morris could take a picture of it. I climbed back into mom s backpack and hid. I do not like spiders especially big, hairy ones! The next thing dad found was a giant millipede. I climbed out of mom s backpack to see it. Mom put her finger by it on a rock so we could see how big it was when we took a picture of it. You can tell how big the millipede is compared to her finger! Finally, we reached the top of Mount Mariah. Our guides told us to look down at our cruise ship! It was a long way down. When we had rested for awhile, we started to climb down. The path was very steep so we had to walk carefully, holding on to a thick rope that was strung between wooden posts. 5

Name: Reading Comprehension Melvin and Morris Explore Roatan, Honduras Directions: Use the story on pages 1-5 to answer the questions below: 1. Read this sentence from the text. The rainforest was shrouded by mist, just like pictures I have seen in books. Which of the following has almost the same meaning as shrouded? A. low-lying clouds B. enhanced C. precipitation D. hidden from sight 2. Why did Melvin want mom to carry him on the hike? A. He ate too much for breakfast. B. He knows he will get tired. C. He is very excited about the rainforest. D. He didn t sleep well the night before. 3. What happened BEFORE the guides gave everyone a walking stick? A. The guide said they might see parrots that lived in the rainforest. B. It rained that morning so the ground was slippery. C. A herd of cows walked down the trail Melvin and Morris were walking on. D. Melvin and Morris had their picture taken with two pirates. 4. How do you think a walking stick helped people on the hike? (Use details from the text to help prove your answer is correct.) 5. What did Morris mean when he told Melvin he was camouflaged? A. He had muddy antlers. B. His antlers were the same color as the muddy ground. C. His antlers were dirty so he needed a bath. D. He was wearing clothes that blended in with the rainforest. 6

6. Explain what slash and burn farming is in the space below: 7. Which of the following best describes a hand of bananas? A. The part of the banana tree called the heart B. A place where bananas develop C. A row of bananas on the stem D. The fruit of the banana tree 8. When does a banana tree die? A. After the bananas become ripe B. When a new banana stem is produced C. After two new banana trees grow D. When the heart hangs down from the banana tree 9. Mom most likely told dad not to touch the tarantula because. A. she thought it was dangerous B. it was big and hairy C. she doesn t like spiders D. she didn t want him to hurt the spider 10. You can tell that dad. A. likes to touch millipedes B. is not afraid of millipedes and spiders C. likes to take pictures of spiders D. enjoys hiking in the rainforest 11. Which of the following is one way that Morris is DIFFERENT from Melvin? A. Morris is not afraid of millipedes. B. Morris had his picture taken with 2 crew members dressed as pirates. C. Morris is not afraid of spiders. D. Morris didn t complain when mom put him into her backpack. 7

Cameo Carving on Roatan When we got back from climbing Mount Mariah, we went shopping in the village. There were many small shops and a larger marketplace where about 30 different people were selling many items. Some sellers had small rooms, others had carts, and still others used tables to display the goods they had for sale. To the left of the shops and the marketplace was the Cameo Factory. The Cameo Factory is called the Stone Castle. It is owned by a man who grew up in Italy. His grandfather was a master cameo carver. The man moved to Roatan Honduras. In 1999, he built the Stone Castle and began to teach cameo carving to apprentices on Roatan. An apprentice is someone who studies for several years with a master craftsman or artist. He or she learns how to do what the master does by working with him. It is the ultimate on the job training! The cameo in the picture to the left is one that mom bought. It was carved by one of the apprentices. The picture to the right shows a queen helmet the same kind that mom s cameo is carved from. You can see the colors of the cameo are the same as those of the helmet shell. Morris bought the helmet shell from a young boy in the West End Village on Roatan. I guess I should tell you what I learned about cameo carving at the Stone Castle! 8

A cameo is a carving in a shell or gemstone that is a raised picture. The woman in white on the cameo above is a raised figure. It comes from the white part of the shell. The background of the cameo is the brown part of the shell. Cameo carving began in Greece and Italy about 2,300 years ago. The carvers used the more common gemstones such as agates and onyx to create cameos. During this time, artists carved scenes from myths such as gods and goddesses doing different things, or they created portraits, or pictures, of their kings and other rulers. About 1,000 years ago artists began to carve shell cameos. Some people think this is because women wanted to wear them every day as jewelry. Queen Victoria of England, who lived from 1837-1901, wore cameos very frequently. Because she wore them, other women copied her to be fashionable. Soon, shell cameos became very popular as jewelry. There are only about 6 types of shells that are used to carve cameos, including helmet shells, conch shells and carnelian shells. Roatan Pottery We went back to the marketplace after we left the Stone Castle. Morris and I love the pottery people who make and sell on Roatan. Dad went off to look at wood carvings. The picture to the right shows some of the pottery we bought. Each piece is unique! Not one piece of pottery ever looks exactly the same. Some are carved and then painted. Others are smooth and brightly painted, but not carved. 9

Examples of carved, painted and etched pottery: Figures are brightly painted by hand. After the vase is glazed and fired, details are etched into Figures are carved into the clay. The clay around them is removed Mom s Best Find! This very unique pot is carved, painted, etched and has a sculpted top! This picture shows details of the turtle that is sculpted on the top of the pot. Mom was very excited when she found this pot. She said she had never seen one like it anywhere! Mom bought the pot immediately without even bargaining just a little. On Roatan, you can ask, Is that your best price? Sometimes, people will sell it to you for a little bit less than they ask at first. This action is known as bargaining. If you buy several things from the same seller he or she will often give you a better price than if you only buy one. 10

Honduran Wood Carvings Dad shopped for wood sculptures. He bought the boxes you see pictured below. Artisans on Honduras create many intricate wood carvings. They carve the artistic boxes with scenes and animals on them and create smooth and shiny round containers. They also carve plates, figures, and other sculptures. Wood Carvings Dad Bought! This stunning box is hand-carved from a native wood. This picture shows details of the carvings on the top of the box when you look down on it. This round box is probably carved from rosewood. It is very smooth and shiny. This box is sculpted from different pieces of wood. It is made of mahogany. It is also very smooth and shiny. 11

When we finally finished shopping, we were all very hot and tired. My arms were sore from carrying all that pottery. Mom s arms were sore from carrying me and the pottery! Mom and dad decided to stop for a glass of cold lemonade before we boarded the ship. Morris screamed, Look, Melvin, a parrot pirate! He climbed up on it and asked me to take his picture. Since it was the only parrot or pirate we saw on the island, I obliged! Mom and dad smiled at each other and slowly sipped their frozen lemonades. We were all very excited about our purchases and wanted to show them to each other. Mom put on the cameo necklace she had bought and modeled it for dad. Dad pulled out his carved wooden box and showed it to mom and Morris. I opened all the bags and looked at my pottery again. I couldn t believe it was all mine! I thought about how I would arrange it on my dresser at home. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. I could barely keep my eyes open. I climbed into mom s backpack and took a nap, dreaming of pirates, parrots and pottery. I didn t wake up until I was back aboard ship and it was time for dinner! 12

Name: Reading Comprehension Melvin and Morris Explore Roatan, Honduras Directions: Use the story on pages 8-12 to answer the questions below: 1. Which of the following is the main role of an apprentice? A. helper B. student C. worker D. carver 2. What is the most likely reason that the man who built the Stone Castle began to teach cameo carving? A. No one carved cameos as well as he did. B. He liked to teach people how to carve things. C. No one on the island knew how to carve cameos. D. He needed new artists to carve cameos for his business. 3. Who bought the helmet shell in the West End Village? A. Dad B. Melvin C. Morris D. Mom 4. What is a cameo? 5. When did cameo carving begin? A. 1000 years ago B. 1837 C. 2,300 years ago D. 1901 13

6. Why did shell cameos become very popular as jewelry? Use details from the story to prove your answer: 7. Which of the following is a synonym for unique? A. different B. one of a kind C. exactly the same D. etched 8. What happened BEFORE mom bought the pot, but AFTER they went back to the marketplace? A. Dad went to look at wood carvings. B. They went to the Stone Castle C. Mom bought a cameo carved by an apprentice D. Morris bought a helmet shell in the West End Village. 9. Look at the pictures of Wood Carvings Dad Bought. The first two pictures show an intricately carved box. The second two pictures show simple round containers. Explain how the intricately carved box is different from the simply carved round containers: 14

Answer Keys: Pages 6 & 7 1. D. hidden from sight 2. B. He knows he will get tired. 3. D. Melvin and Morris had their picture taken with two pirates. 4. Answers will vary. Suggested answer: Walking sticks were helpful because the ground was muddy, rocky and slippery. The path was steep. The walking stick helped them keep their balance and not fall down. 5. B. His antlers were the same color as the muddy ground. 6. Suggested answer: Slash and burn farming is an ancient custom in rainforest areas. People cut down the trees in an area and burn them. All of the nutrients in the trees mix with the soil and make the soil fertile, or good to grow things in. 7. C. A row of bananas on the stem. 8. A. After the bananas become ripe. 9. A. She thought it was dangerous. 10. B. Is not afraid of millipedes and spiders 11. C. Morris is not afraid of spiders. Pages 13 & 14 1. B. student 2. D. He needed new artists to carve cameos for his business. 3. C. Morris 4. Suggested answer: A cameo is a raised carving on a shell or precious stone. 5. C. 2,300 years ago. 6. Suggested answer: Queen Victoria of England who lived from 1837-1901 wore cameos very frequently. Because she wore them, other women copied her to be fashionable. Soon, shell cameos became very popular as jewelry. 7. B. One of a kind 8. A. Dad went to look at wood carvings. 9. Suggested Answer: The intricately carved box has many things carved into it: Houses, flowers, streets. The simply carved round containers have nothing carved on them. They are smooth and shiny. 15