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Hawaii

Hawaii
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 5 to 6
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.85

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    luau, monarch, tourism, tourist, mountainous, traditional, billion, majority, erosion, leprosy, military, republic, factor, educational, hula, possession
     content words:    Aloha State, Hawaiian Islands, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, Pacific Ocean, Big Island, Friendly Island, Father Damien, Pineapple Island, Gathering Place

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Hawaii
By Jennifer Kenny 		  
1     Hawaii became our 50th state on August 21, 1959. Its nickname is the Aloha State. Most of Hawaii was formed because of volcanoes.
 
2     The chain of Hawaiian Islands has been forming for millions of years as lava poured from volcanoes on the deep ocean floor. The mountains that formed are either dormant or active volcanoes. There is one active volcano on the island of Maui and three active volcanoes on the island of Hawaii. The islands where there are more dormant volcanoes show the results that erosion causes to the environment.
 
3     Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the state of Hawaii. It has been dormant for hundreds of years. Since it was formed mostly by lava flows and not explosive eruptions, it is a great mountainous mass and not a steep-sided cone.
 
4     Mauna Loa and Kilauea are Hawaii's two main active volcanoes that still erupt every so often. Mauna Loa is 13,680 feet above sea level. Lava still flows from these volcanoes and has been known to destroy farmland and yet also create new land.
 
5     Hawaii is our country's only island state. It is actually a state made up of eight islands and 124 islets and reefs in the northern Pacific Ocean. The islands are named Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. The state of Hawaii is located 2,400 miles from the western U.S. mainland.
 
6     Hawaii, or the Big Island, is the largest of all the islands. Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea dominate the area. Hawaii is known for all the lava beds as well as rain forests, waterfalls, and grasslands.
 
7     Maui is the second largest island. There are two huge masses with a valley-like area in between that is quite good for farming.
 
8     Molokai is called the Friendly Island. The people are known to be kind to visitors. There is a town on the island called Kalaupapa where those who suffer from leprosy live. A very famous priest named Father Damien was known to live there to help the victims but he later died of the disease himself.
 
9     Lanai is called the Pineapple Island. Obviously, its pineapple plantations provide its reputation.

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