Think and Respond
1. How do today’s bicycles compare with early bicycles, such as the draisienne and the penny farthing? Possible responses: The newer ones have pedals and chains, are safer and more streamlined, and can go faster. Unlike today’s bicycles, the draisienne was made of wood. The penny farthing had two wheels of diff erent size and the rider sat up very high. Analytical
2. In order, list the ways the bicycle has changed since 1817. Possible responses:
The fi rst bike was wooden and had no pedals. A later bike had a large front wheel.
Bikes came to look more like the models we have today. Genre
3. Why did the author write about the history of this invention? Accept reasonable responses. Possible responses: Perhaps she wanted readers to know how long the bicycle has been around and how much it has changed. Maybe the author is a bicyclist and wants to share her interest with others. Author’s Purpose
91 91 The Riding Machine
Before Reading
Genre: Tell students that the nonfi ction selection you are going to read is a
collection of thoughtful quotations said by one person long ago. Such statements are also called sayings. Remind students that throughout history and around the world,
many men and women have been great thinkers.
This selection is based upon the writings of Confucius, a wise teacher who lived almost three thousand years ago in China.
Expand Vocabulary: Before reading aloud the sayings of Confucius, discuss the following words and terms with students:
obligated: to have a duty or responsibility unrighteous: acting without honor or kindness nature: the character or essence of
someone or something
inferior: not as good as, or less than, someone or something else
Set a Purpose for Reading: Encourage students to listen to evaluate whether what Confucius said long ago is still helpful today.
During Reading
Use the Think Alouds during the fi rst reading of this
selection. Notes about the cultural perspective may be used during subsequent readings.
by Confucius
Genre: Nonfi ction (Primary Source) Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate Think-Aloud Copying Master number 4
1 I fi gured out what this means because after I thought about it, it sounded familiar. It means that money does not buy happiness!
2 I wonder what the word reciprocity means. The next part says that you should treat people the way you want to be treated. So reciprocity must have to do with giving and taking in equal amounts.
by Confucius
For thousands of years China has been shaped by the values of family loyalty and hard work. A major infl uence on Chinese civilization has been Confucius (kun FYOO shus), a philosopher and teacher born in 551 b.c. In the hope of preventing wars, Confucius taught that kindness and respect in the family form the foundation of a peaceful society. Confucius stressed that rulers are also obligated to be honest and just.
Th e passages below are some of Confucius’s teachings that his students later wrote down. How do the teachings of Confucius still relate to life today?
Having only coarse food to eat, plain water to drink, and a bent arm for a pillow, one can still fi nd happiness therein.
Riches and honor acquired by unrighteous means are to me as drift ing clouds.1
Th ose who know the truth are not up to those who love it;
those who love the truth are not up to those who delight in it.
By nature men are pretty much alike; it is learning and practice that set them apart.
Shall I teach you what knowledge is? When you know a thing, say that you know it; when you do not know a thing, admit that you do not know it. Th at is knowledge.
Tzu Kung asked: “Is there any one word that can serve as a principle for the conduct of life?” Confucius said: “Perhaps the word ‘reciprocity’: Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you.”2
Th e gentleman fi rst practices what he preaches and then preaches what he practices.
Th e gentleman understands what is right; the inferior man understands what is profi table.
93 The Sayings of Confucius
3 I can tell Confucius lived long ago because the sayings use words like man, men, and gentle-men. Today we would say people or men and women.
Th e gentleman makes demands on himself; the inferior man makes demands on others.3
A government is good when those near are happy and those far off are attracted.
Aft er Confucius died in 479 b.c., his teachings were handed down by others. His ideas about respect and honesty became part of the fabric of Chinese society and spread across Southeast Asia. His teachings remain a major infl uence throughout much of Asia and the world.
After Reading
Take Notes: Invite students to listen carefully for key words, such as learning, happiness, and truth, as you slowly reread each saying. Ask students to make notes of these words to come up with a list of qualities that Confucius valued most. Have students evaluate whether these
qualities are still valued today. Help students recognize that their own point of view contributes to their ability to form an opinion.
Use Copying Master number 4 to prompt students to analyze one of the sayings in the text.
Cultural Perspective
About a century after Confucius’s time, a book called the Tao Te Ching, or “The Way of Virtue,” also became widely read. Some people say that this book, rather than being written by the author, Lao Tzu, which means “wise teacher,”
was actually the work of several people.
Think and Respond
1. In what ways is the wisdom of Confucius still helpful to us today? Possible responses: Some things, like truth and kindness, never change. Many of these are familiar sayings today, such as “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” These are rules for behavior that are fair and considerate, which never go out of style. Critical
2. The editor lists the sayings one after another without giving explanations.
Why do you think he did this? Possible responses: Perhaps he felt that
Confucius’s wisdom was the most important thing for people to remember about him. Perhaps the editor wanted people to think through these ideas on their own and apply them to their own lives. By including only sayings, it was easier for people to study and remember them. Genre
3. Why do you think the students of Confucius handed down his teachings? How would things be diff erent if they had not? Possible responses: They wanted everyone to learn from his wisdom. Asian culture and that of other parts of the world would not have been infl uenced by the wisdom of Confucius. Author’s Purpose
“I fi gured
out
because .”
95 The Sayings of Confucius