I live in a city.
My father takes me to school.
It is cold outside. We wear coats.
My friend Adda lives in the country. She walks to school with her friend. She throws leaves in the air.
Her mother walks with them.
I see a street sign.
The picture means "Walk."
We walk across the street.
My friend Adda waits at the road.
A truck stops.
The driver says, "Please cross the road."
We walk by a store.
I point to a hat in the window. "I like that hat," I say.
Adda sees a field of pumpkins. She points to a big pumpkin.
"I like that pumpkin," she says.
I see buildings.
I see busy streets when I walk to school.
Adda sees trees. She sees plants when she walks to school.
What do you see when you go to school?
1. Name three things these children see on their way to school.
2. What season of the year is it in this book? How do you know?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about the things you see on your way to school.
This is a stop sign. You see stop signs on many streets and roads. On some streets, you can see red lights.
What should drivers do when they see a stop sign? What should drivers do at a red light?
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft went into space. Three men were inside.
They were astronauts.
They were going to the Moon.
The three astronauts in the spacecraft were the Apollo 11 crew.
This was the first time people were going to the Moon.
The astronauts worked long and hard before they went!
The Apollo 11 spacecraft had two parts the Columbia and the Eagle.
The astronauts lived and worked in the part called the Columbia.
The trip to the Moon took three days. The spacecraft flew around the Moon. Two astronauts moved into the Eagle. The Eagle flew down to the Moon.
The two astronauts landed on the surface of the Moon safely.
One astronaut sent a message to Earth. He said, "The Eagle has landed."
The two astronauts walked on the Moon.
They put up an American flag. They took many pictures.
They collected rocks and dust.
The spacecraft flew back to Earth.
On July 24, 1969, the Columbia landed in the ocean.
The three astronauts were home!
1. How did the astronauts go to the moon?
2. What did two of the astronauts do on the moon?
3. What is your favorite part of the Apollo 11 trip? Write about it on a separate sheet of paper.
The word spacecraft is made of two words: space and craft. Space is the place that the Earth, Sun, and stars fly through. A craft is a boat or ship or flying machine. People fly a spacecraft through space. What are the two words in everyone? Does everyone mean the same as "every person"?
Lida and Janica went on a camping trip with their parents.
"Let's play I Spy," Mother said. "I will start the game. I will tell you the color of something that I see. You have to tell me what it is that I see." Mother looked around the campsite.
"I spy something brown," she said.
"But everything here is brown," Lida said, "even the dirt."
"What I spy is brown, with fur," their mother added.
"You spy a squirrel!" Janica cried.
Now it was Janica's turn. "I spy something green," Janica told them.
"It is five million leaves," Lida said. "I win."
"No, it is light green with big eyes." "You spy a toad," Father said.
"I spy something blue," said Father. "Is it your shirt?" asked Janica.
"It is something you can eat,"
Father said.
"It's a blueberry," Lida shouted. She picked a blueberry from a blueberry bush.
"I spy something purple," Lida said.
"There's nothing purple around here," Father noted.
"You spy a purple cloud in the sunset!" Mother said, looking at the colors in the sky.
"It is almost too dark to play anymore," Father said.
"One more," said Mother. "I spy something yellow."
Father, Janica, and Lida all shouted, "The Sun!"
"Camping outside is fun," Janica said. "I want to go to the beach tomorrow," Lida said. "Then can we play I Spy again?"
1. Where was this family when they played the game?
2. Do you think the family had fun playing the game I Spy? Why?
3. Look around the room, and find things you can use to play I Spy. Make a list of the things and their colors on a separate sheet of paper.
Brown, blue, green, purple, and orange are the names of colors. Write the names of things that are blue, green, purple, and orange.
The saguaro cactus is a plant. The saguaro grows in the desert. Some saguaros grow as tall as a house. It takes many years for a saguaro to grow so tall.
The desert is a hot, dry place. The saguaro can live in the desert because it holds water in its body. The saguaro looks fat when it has a lot of water inside. It looks thin when it has less water.
Young saguaros are small.
The saguaro starts as a seed. The seed grows to become a small cactus. The small cactus grows to become a tall cactus. The tall saguaro grows branches. The branches look like arms.
This saguaro has branches that look like arms.
The flowers of a saguaro cactus
The saguaro grows flowers. The flowers turn into fruit. The fruit has seeds. The seeds fall to the ground. Some of the seeds grow into new saguaros.
The saguaro is covered with spines. The spines have sharp points. The spines keep some animals from eating the saguaro. When it rains, the spines help the water go down to the roots of the cactus.
The roots of the saguaro are not deep in the ground. They spread out near the top of the ground. That way, they can get a lot of water when it rains.
This bird lives in a saguaro.
Many small animals use the saguaro. Birds build nests in holes in the cactus. Bugs eat the seeds and other parts of the plant. Bats get food from the flowers. The saguaro helps these animals live.
1. How does a saguaro cactus help some animals?
2. What protects the saguaro from some animals?
3. What does a saguaro cactus look like? On a separate sheet of paper, draw a picture of a saguaro and write about it.
Short and tall are opposites.
Can you find the opposite of fat in this book?
Coyote liked to chase Rabbit all day long. Rabbit liked to play tricks on Coyote all day long. They never got tired of playing their games together.
One day, Coyote couldn't find Rabbit. Then he saw Rabbit walking in a canyon. This was a perfect place for chasing Rabbit. The canyon walls were very high. Rabbit couldn't escape.
Coyote followed Rabbit into the canyon. Rabbit saw Coyote behind her.
I am in trouble now, Rabbit thought. What can I do? She ran. Coyote chased her. Rabbit hid in the canyon.
Finally, Coyote found Rabbit. Rabbit was leaning against the canyon wall.
"Quick, help me," Rabbit cried. "The wall will fall on both of us!" A few small rocks fell. Coyote ran to Rabbit and helped her to hold up the canyon wall.
They held up the wall all night long. They got hungry. Rabbit saw a reflection of the moon in the pond. It looked like cheese. "I will drink all the water from the pond," Rabbit said. "Then we can eat that cheese in the water."
Rabbit drank some of the water. "This will never work," she said. "I will get some real food for us." She ran off. Coyote didn't follow. He was afraid the wall would fall on him.
Coyote got so hungry that he ran away from the canyon wall. The wall didn't fall. "Rabbit tricked me! I will have some cheese, and then I will chase her," Coyote said.
He drank all the water from the pond. But he never found any cheese. He was too full of water to move. He couldn't chase Rabbit that day!
1. Why did Rabbit tell Coyote that the canyon wall would fall?
2. Why do you think Rabbit and Coyote continued to play the chasing game?
3. What game do you like to play with your friends? Write about it on a separate sheet of paper.
We can add -ing to a verb to make a new word. Walk and -ing make walking. Walk and walking are related. Can you find the -ing word in the story that is related to chase?
Sandy is a dog. She lives with Kim. Kim is taking Sandy to her lesson. Sandy is learning how to find people who are lost. Sandy will be a rescue dog.
Sandy and Kim walk to the park. Sandy's trainer is there. A trainer is a kind of teacher. The trainer will train Sandy to find people who are lost.
Other people and their dogs are at the park. The trainer will teach Sandy and some other dogs.
It is time for Sandy's lesson. The trainer gives Kim his cap. Then the trainer hides.
Kim puts the cap in front of Sandy. Sandy smells the cap.
The cap smells like the trainer.
"Find the trainer, Sandy," Kim says. Sandy sniffs the air. She can smell the trainer! She pulls on her leash.
Kim takes off the leash.
"Go, Sandy!" she says. Sandy runs. She passes a family.
She finds the trainer!
Kim gives Sandy a hug. "Good dog," she says. Kim is proud of Sandy. One day Sandy will help people. Sandy will help find people who are lost!
1. Tell about the lesson Sandy learned. What happened first? What happened next?
2. Was the trainer in this story really lost?
3. What does Sandy look like? Write about the dog on a separate sheet of paper.
Sandy hears with her ears. Dogs can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel things. What did Sandy do with her nose in the story?
Pablo's soccer team won the last game of the season. The team wanted to celebrate in a special way. They decided to have a picnic.
"We can all bring something. We're a team," Ivan said.
Pablo's mother made two kinds of meat pies. One kind of meat pie was spicy. The other kind was not spicy.
Pablo liked to put the pies in rows on the baking sheet.
"You're a great help," Pablo's mother said. She hugged him.
Ivan's father made potato pancakes. He fried the pancakes in hot oil. Ivan had a job. His job was to watch his baby sister. He kept her away from the stove. "You're a great help," said his father.
Safara and her mother made blueberry muffins. Safara wanted to use her magic wand to help her mom. The wand did not work. Safara helped her mother to pour the batter into the muffin pan.
"You're a good helper, without the wand," said her mom.
Chin asked his grandfather to make his special rice. It had five vegetables in it. Even children who did not like vegetables loved his grandfather's rice.
Chin helped to put the vegetables in the rice.
"You are a good helper," said his grandfather.
Everyone helped set up the benches and the tables at the playground. Coach Arafa was the special guest. The team wanted the coach to feel special. They did not want her to work at the picnic.
"I like being the special guest," said Coach Arafa.
Everyone ate all the food. They tried to guess all the vegetables in the rice.
"Time to clean up," Coach Arafa said. They all worked together. Soon the work was done.
How did working together as a team make the picnic fun?
1. What things do you and your friends or family do together? How do you share the work?
2. Why does working with a team make a job easier to do?
3. What are good jobs for a team? Write about them on a separate paper.
If you bake bread with lots of fruit in it, you can say the bread is fruity. What can you call a food that has lots of spice in it?
Summer returns to the pond. The whole pond is sunny.
The beaver works.
The beaver builds a lodge.
The lodge is the beaver's home.
The beaver shares the lodge.
It shares the lodge with its kits. The kits are the beaver's babies.
The robin works.
The robin builds a nest.
The nest is on a branch above the pond. The nest is the robin's home.
The robin shares the nest with its babies.
The robin works.
The robin brings food to the nest.
The robin brings enough food to share. The robin shares the food with its babies.
The turtle loves a sunny place.
The turtle finds a log in the pond. The log is in a warm, sunny place.
The turtle shares the log with some birds.
The turtle rests.
The birds rest too.
It is summer at the pond.
The beaver, the robin, the turtle, and the birds live at the pond.
The animals work.
The animals share.
The animals rest.
1. Why does the robin bring food to its nest?
2. Why does the beaver build a lodge?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about the animals you have seen. Where do they live? Did they share food?
Some words in English describe animals moving. Rabbits hop. In the story, what animals can fly?
"Big news! I have big news!" barked Dog, running into the barn.
"Big news?" asked Donkey and Cat at the same time.
"What is it, Dog? What is this all about?" asked Cow.
"We are getting a new baby," said Dog.
"A new baby?" asked the hens.
"Yes, a new piglet, a baby pig," barked Dog. "I saw him. He is only two weeks old." Dog was out of breath.
"Do you know what this means?" said Cow.
"No, what does it mean?" asked Dog. Some animals looked scared.
Cow spoke, "We must clean the barn." The animals looked at Cow. Cow always knew what do to.
"Yes, we shall clean," the animals agreed. "We must get the barn ready for the new piglet."
The animals started to work. They all ran around. They ran around some more. After a while, they were tired. The barn was still messy.
"Look at this mess! We need to work together," said Cow.
The animals wanted to help each other. They started to sing:
We'll help to clean the barn.
A piglet a piglet, is coming to live with us.
Donkey carried sticks of wood outside. Dog piled up the sticks in a neat pile. Cat made sure the bags of grain were neatly piled in the corner. Cow laid some hay near the wall. The little pig would sleep on the hay. The hens cleared the floor of corn and seeds.
Rooster stood by the door to see when the piglet would come.
"Everything looks neat. We did a good job!" said Cow proudly. "Helping each other made the big job easy."
The piglet came to the barn. Do you think the piglet will be happy there?
1. How did the animals help each other?
2. What lesson did the author try to teach in this story?
3. Think about a time when you have seen people work together. Write about it.
A baby pig is called a piglet. What animals will the following babies grow up to be?
A party will begin soon! The people on the first floor of the Alameda Apartments are having a party. They will celebrate Thanksgiving. Everybody is excited! Every family on the first floor will work together. They all are bringing something to make the party fun and delicious!
Sula is from Greece. Sula and her mom are bringing the tablecloths, the paper plates, and paper cups. The tablecloths are decorated with pictures of turkeys, corn, and fruits. They look beautiful!
Kamal is from Lebanon. His family worked with Rebecca and her mom to make the turkey. Rebecca and her mom are from Texas. They are bringing the turkey to the table. It smells delicious!
Ibrahim is from Nigeria. His parents are bringing apple juice and orange juice and a large salad. The table is almost full! But some people are still missing. More food will come!
Manuel and Martha are from Colombia. They are bringing sweet potatoes and apple pies.
All of the food looks so good!
Everybody is ready to sit down and start the feast.
The lawn beside the Alameda Apartments smells so good with all the food!
After dinner, the lanterns are turned on, and the music starts. The adults dance and sing. The children run around and have a good time. Some of the little kids fall asleep. This is the best Thanksgiving that Alameda Apartments ever had! The people all promise to have a party again next year.
1. Can you see the lawn of the Alameda Apartments in your mind? Tell about the Thanksgiving party at Alameda Apartments.
2. How did the people in the story have fun at the party?
3. What are your favorite foods at a big dinner? Make a list on a separate sheet of paper.
People from America are called Americans.
People from Nigeria are called Nigerians.
What can we call people from Colombia?
What can we call people from Russia?
"Mom," Ada said. "I really want a swing set. I want a pretty one with a castle."
"Can we buy one?" said Emma, Ada's little sister.
"Maybe we can build our own," said Ada's mother. "But first we need a plan."
"How many swings do we need?" Mom asked.
"We need two," Emma said.
"How about three swings?" Ada said. "We need an extra swing for a friend."
"We need wood and chains, and nails and screws," Ada said. "Then we will be able to build a swing set. We will have a castle for playing. How will we get this stuff home?"
"A truck will bring it," Mom said.
"Emma, watch how we work carefully." Mom said. "We need to be very careful when we work."
"When will we finish?" Ada asked.
"I think we will finish in a week," Mom said. "I'm glad we have friends to help."
"Today is the big day," Ada announced.
"Yes, we will finally finish,"
Mom said.
"We have worked hard," Emma said. "I hope we can play soon," Ada said.
"We are lucky to have such nice friends," Mom said.
"We can have a party to thank them!" Ada said. "Everyone can try our new swing set and castle!"
"Welcome to my castle!" Ada said. "Try my swings!" Emma shouted. "Mom, we made you a card,"
Ada said.
"Let me read it." Mom said. "It says: Thank You! Love, Ada and Emma."
1. Tell about your favorite playground or another favorite place.
2. What kind of swing set do you think children would like?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about something that you would like to build or make with your family.
Playground is made of the words play and ground. Playground is a compound word. Another compound word is sidewalk. It means "a walk on the side of something." Many sidewalks are along the sides of streets. Why do you think the words play and ground were put together to make the word playground?
Do you ever wonder how the mail gets from one place to another? A mailbox at a person's home may have a letter or a card inside. How did the mail get there?
If you send a letter, how will it go to the right place? Here is your chance to learn about the mail.
Think about writing a letter to a friend. First, you get a piece of paper and a pencil. You write the date. You write the name of your friend. Then you write your message. At the end of the message, you sign your name.
Next you put your letter in an envelope. You write the name and address of your friend. You also write your name and your address. Then, a very important thing you need to do is to put a stamp on the envelope. Stamps are sold at the post office.
Now, you and an older person in your family put your letter in the mailbox. This is a mail collection box. It collects mail. Let's see what happens to your letter. A postal worker empties the mailbox. She will take the mail to the post office.
Postal workers take the mail to the post office. Inside, postal workers sort the mail. They put the mail in different bins. The mail in one bin will go to one place. The mail in another bin will go to a different place. People even send some mail to other countries.
The mail carrier has mail for people in your town. He goes door to door to put letters, cards, and packages into people's mailboxes. One child may get a birthday card. Another may get an invitation to a party. And very soon you will get a response from your friend!
1. What can you do to help your letter go to the right person?
2. Tell about mail that you helped send or get. Do you like mail?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a short letter to a friend or someone in your family.
The word letter sometimes means a note to someone.
The word letter sometimes means a part of the alphabet, like A or Z.
In this book, does the word letter mean a note that you write to someone or a letter of the alphabet?
Spider webs are strong.
Spiders spin sticky webs. Insects fly into the webs. Insects are caught there. Spiders eat the insects.
Spiders use webs to catch their meals. Let's learn about more things that catch.
People use fish nets to catch fish. These nets catch things as webs do. Fish swim into the nets. The fish are caught there. People eat the fish.
People use nets to catch food just as spiders use webs to catch food.
A baseball player uses a glove to catch a baseball.
The ball flies into the baseball glove. Part of the glove is called the web. The web helps catch the ball.
A baseball glove needs a web. Without it, a player might miss a ball.
Baseball players use webs for catching just as spiders do.
Do you think my web could catch a baseball?
What else is used for catching? Soccer nets catch balls.
A soccer ball flies into the net. The ball is too big to go through. The net stops the ball.
Net holes will not catch something if the holes are too big.
Sometimes webs and nets don't catch things.
Here is a fish net with big holes. The fish can swim through the holes. Would a soccer net with very big holes catch the ball?
I believe my webs always catch something!
Nets and webs are good for catching. The holes in nets and webs must be just the right size.
1. How does the web in a baseball glove help a baseball player?
2. A spider web does not move. How does it catch insects?
3. Have you ever seen a net or a web? Draw a picture of it on a separate sheet of paper. Write about where you saw it.
Fish nets catch fish. What do you call a net that catches butterflies?
The second graders were ready for American Hero Day. Tonight their parents would come to see the children's work. Each child had painted a mask of a famous American.
But many of the masks were a mess.
A cat had run inside the school. The cat stepped in paint and ran on the masks.
"Oh no! The masks are ruined!" said Mr. Brown, the teacher.
"What can we do?" Carlos asked.
"Who will save our day? We need our own hero."
"We can paint new masks,"
Mary said.
"There isn't time," Mr. Brown said.
"I have an idea," Carlos said. "Do you remember our visit to Baker School? They had Hero Day too. Maybe we can borrow their masks."
"That's a great idea!" Mr. Brown said. "I'll call Mrs. Clay, the teacher there."
Mr. Brown went to the office. He called Mrs. Clay.
"Yes, you may borrow our masks," Mrs. Clay said. She soon came with many masks.
"Mrs. Clay is our hero!" Mary said. Everyone felt better.
Soon parents filled the room.
They loved the art on the walls. Everyone was excited.
The second graders came on stage. Some had their own masks. Some had masks from Baker School. The masks were art, too.
"There are many great Americans," Mary said. "There are many great heroes."
"Today we had a problem," Mr.
Brown said. "A cat almost ruined our day."
"But Carlos had a super idea," Mr. Brown said. "Carlos was our own hero."
Each student showed a mask.
"My mask is Ben Franklin," Carlos said. "He helped the USA to be free."
"My mask is Sally Ride," Mary said. "She flew in space."
Everyone clapped for the American heroes. Everyone clapped for the second-grade class.
1. How did the class solve the problem of the ruined masks?
2. What makes a person a hero? Who do you think is a hero?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, draw a picture or mask of a famous person. Write about him or her.
The words their masks means "masks that belong to them." What do the words our masks mean? If a girl owned a mask, would she call it "my mask" or "your mask"?
Inventors look carefully at the way people do things. Inventors can observe for hours how people write, cook, wash clothes, clean the house, or wash the car. Then an inventor may come up with an idea to make the job easier. An inventor may invent a machine that helps people.
Let's think about washing clothes. For many years, people could wash clothes only by hand. They used washboards to clean their clothes. Their hands hurt after doing the wash. It was hard work!
Then about 100 years ago, the first electric washing machine was invented. Washing machines made the job easier!
Let's look at writing. For many years, people had to write by hand. At home or at school, people wrote letters, notes, or reports. They did it all by hand! Your hand got tired if you had to write many letters! If you used a pen and ink, your hands could get dirty! Or, your paper could get an ink spot.
About 140 years ago, the typewriter was invented. It made putting words on paper faster and easier.
Many people still like to write letters and cards by hand. It makes the letters and the cards very special.
Before there were cars, people walked, rode horses, or took trains to get places. The first car was made more than 120 years ago. The first cars were very slow. Later, new inventions made the car faster.
A car can make going from place to place faster. When there is a lot of traffic, it is not always faster. A lot of people still like to walk to a store or other places. Walking can be healthy and fun! It is a good way to exercise.
Some inventions are for fun.
About 115 years ago, the game of basketball was invented. This helped people play a sport in the winter.
Here is a very old invention: the kite. It was invented about 3,000 years ago! Aren't kites fun?
What would you like to invent?
1. How do inventions help people? Give some examples.
2. How do you think people would travel if the car had not been invented?
3. On a separate paper, describe an invention you would like to create. Draw a picture of it. Tell whether the invention would be for fun or to make a job easier?
Compound words are made up of two smaller words. For example, typewriter is made up of the words type and writer.
Find the two smaller words in the compound word: washboard.
Lyn and her brother David had to stay inside because it was raining. Mom had an idea. "Let's look into the memory box!"
Mom used that box to keep special things, her treasures. She said those treasures helped her remember things that happened in the past.
The children remembered the memory box. They loved it. The memory box had many things: David's first baby tooth, Lyn's old first tiny pair of shoes with red shoelaces, and old photographs. Mostly, they liked the stories Mom told them about the treasures in the box.
Mom unpacked the memory box. She took the treasures out of the box one at a time. Lyn was curious about a small case. David found a small cloth bag.
Lyn asked, "Mom, is this case for the earrings?" "Yes," answered Mom as she touched her earrings. She had a strange smile on her face. "Tell us the story about them again," begged Lyn. Mom answered, "You know that the earrings are these rings I am wearing on my ears now."
"This is the story of my lucky earrings," Mom said. "These earrings belonged to my mother -- your Grandma Liu. My father gave them to her when they got married in China. He said that the earrings would protect her and give her luck. She wore those earrings every day, and she was very lucky!"
"When I left China to come to the United States, Grandma Liu gave the earrings to me. Lyn, some day, I will give them to you." David frowned, but Lyn smiled.
David asked about the cloth bag. Mom opened it and took out a wrapped thing. She opened it. It was a piece of jade. "David, Grandpa found this stone by the mountains in China and carried it in his pocket every day! It will be yours one day." Now David smiled.
Do you have a treasure?
1. What two things does the mother say she will give to Lyn and David?
2. Why do you think Lyn and David's mother has a memory box?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a list of things you or your family could put into a memory box.
Earring is a compound word made of these two words: ear and ring. What are the two words in the compound word shoelace? What does shoelace mean?
Many people love tomatoes. They love to put them in salad. They love to cook tomatoes in pizza and other foods.
Tomatoes are the fruit of the tomato plant. People often think of tomatoes as vegetables. They are not as sweet as most fruits.
Tomatoes are a healthful food.
They have vitamins. Vitamins in food help your body grow and be healthy.
Try tomatoes for a tasty and healthful snack. Tomatoes can be messy. Don't forget the napkins!
Tomatoes can be big or small. Tomatoes can be red, green, yellow, or orange. Some even have stripes!
Different kinds of tomatoes have different names. Some have silly names like Lemon Boy and Early Girl. Other fun names are Sun Gold and Big Tiger.
Grow Your Own!
Tomatoes are easy to grow. Plant them in a garden. Plant them in a pot or a window box.
Tomato plants need sunlight and water. Cold weather can hurt or kill them.
Little flowers grow on tomato plants. These flowers turn into tomatoes. Don't pick tomatoes until they're ready and ripe.
Plant tomato seeds in the spring. Be sure to use good soil. Soon roots will begin to grow. Then the plant grows out of the ground.
What Do You Think?
People put sliced tomatoes into salads. Do you like tomatoes in salads?
People cook tomatoes in pizza and other foods. What is your favorite way to eat tomatoes?
1. Do you like to eat tomatoes? Why or why not?
2. What is something you learned in The Tomato Times?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, draw a picture of a plant you would like in a garden. Tell about it.
Two parts of many plants are roots and leaves. Roots grow underground and take in water and food from the dirt. Many leaves grow on plant stems or branches. Which part would get more sunlight -- roots or leaves?
It was Ella's birthday. She was having a wonderful day at the zoo.
"That baby panda is so cute," she said. "Can we take him home? Please?
"That baby panda is like a bear," said her sister Fay. "It will turn into a big panda. Pandas are not pets. They are wild animals."
"You are right," said a zoo worker. "Our zoo babies are cute. But pandas grow to be big and powerful."
"Read this," Mama said. "Pandas are about the size of chipmunks when they are born. Then pandas grow to be up to 250 pounds."
"I still want one," Ella said.
"Follow me," said the zoo worker. "Look at this lion cub."
"He looks like a kitten," Ella said.
"Lions are big, wild cats. Lions grow to be more than 500 pounds," the man said. "And you can hear their roar for miles."
"You might be able to fit a baby elephant in your home," said the zoo worker. "But not for long."
"I know," Ella said. "Elephants are too big and too tall."
"Right," the worker said. "Elephants can be 11 feet tall."
"Tell me," said the zoo worker. "Do you know other animals that change?"
"Tadpoles become different," Fay said. "They turn into frogs."
"My favorites are caterpillars," Ella said. "They become butterflies."
"How about this baby?" asked the zoo worker. He pointed to an ostrich. "He weighs 100 pounds. He is only one year old."
"Ostriches are the biggest birds in the world!" Fay said. "Too bad they cannot fly."
"I still want a panda," Ella said.
Mama walked over and handed a bag to Ella. "Here," she said. "Happy Birthday! Maybe this will make you feel better."
Ella pulled a toy panda from the bag. "Perfect," she said. "It is just my size!"
1. Tell about your favorite animals.
2. How are elephants and pandas different? How are they the same?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a zoo animal you would like to see. Draw a picture of that animal.
Baby bears and baby lions are called cubs.
What do we call a baby cat? What do we call a baby dog?
Adam looked at his new soccer team. Today was the first day of practice. He didn't know anyone. Being on a new team was not easy.
Last year he was on the Blue Comets. He loved playing with his friends Sonny and Liam. Adam wanted to be on his old soccer team.
"I'm Coach King," a man said. "Welcome to the Strikers. We're going to have fun."
"Let's go, kids!" said Coach King. "We'll practice passing the ball."
Adam practiced with Chuck and Lara. They played well. They worked hard.
Coach King showed the kids how to pass the ball by kicking it.
"Shout a name when you pass the ball," said Coach King. "Let your buddy know the ball is coming. Talk to each other on the field!"
Adam was learning a lot about playing soccer.
The first game was against the Blue Comets. Adam watched his friends Sonny and Liam slap hands. It wasn't fair. He wanted to be with them.
"Are you ready, Strikers?" asked Coach King. "Remember to play as a team, together." He gave everyone a "high five" by softly slapping hands.
Both teams played well. The game was almost over. The score was tied. Each team had 3 goals.
Adam had to remember not to kick the ball to his old teammates, Liam and Sonny. He tried hard to think about his new team. Adam smiled at Chuck.
Adam and Chuck passed the ball to each other. The Blue Comets had trouble catching up to the Strikers.
Adam passed the ball to Lara. She scored by kicking it into the net!
The whistle blew. The Strikers won, 4 goals to 3!
"What a game!" said Coach King. "I'm so proud of you. You really played as a team."
"I'll see you at the next practice," Chuck called.
"Yes, good-bye," said Adam. He felt happy to have new friends. He was proud to be on the Striker team.
1. Why does Adam no longer feel sad at the end of the story?
2. Why are friends important on a new team or in a new place?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about your favorite coach or your favorite teacher.
In the game of soccer, to pass the ball is to kick the ball to another player. To score is to make a point for your team by kicking the ball into a goal.
What other soccer words are in the story?
You plan a special day. Will the weather be perfect for your plans? Could bad weather spoil your plans?
How can you find out about the weather? This book is about changes in the weather.
This family is ready for the beach. They want to picnic and swim. How do they know that it will be a good day for the beach? They looked at the thermometer outside their house.
The thermometer shows the temperature. It shows how hot or how cold the air is.
This man is fishing at the beach.
He likes this cool, cloudy day.
How did he know that today would be a good day for fishing at the beach? Before he went fishing, he listened to the weather reporter on television.
The team is ready to play. But it is raining. When will the rain stop? What can they do to find out? They can listen to a weather report on the radio.
Sometimes the weather can spoil the plans that people make.
Will the team be able to play?
This family is going to ride in a hot air balloon. They can't wait to be up in the sky. It is very windy. They can't go up in the air today. The weather has spoiled their plans!
How much snow fell?
These girls are measuring how much snow fell during the night. They plan to go sledding. They want to build a snowman.
The weather did not spoil their plans.
Everyone likes to stay comfortable in all kinds of weather. We use warm clothes, and we heat our homes to stay warm. We use cool clothes, fans, and swimming pools to stay cool. What do you need most for today's weather?
1. What kind of weather do you like best?
2. Tell about a day when you had to change plans because of the weather.
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about the worst weather you've ever seen.
Many English words help describe the weather. Warm and cool are two words.
Can you think of other words to describe the weather?
The fire fighters are on the job! They work as a team. Each fire fighter has a special job to do.
Some fire fighters drive the truck. Drivers must know how to drive the truck safely. They must know the quickest route to the fire. Drivers must watch out for cars and people.
When they get to the fire, the fire fighters hop out of the truck. Some hurry to hook up the hose. They spray water on the fire.
Some fire fighters put on masks to protect them from smoke. These brave fire fighters rush into the burning building. They need to see if anyone is trapped inside.
Even fire fighters go to classes.
Fire fighters keep busy even when they are not fighting a fire. On some days, fire fighters have special classes. They learn to use new equipment. They practice their skills. They must not make mistakes when they are fighting a fire!
What would you like to learn from a fire fighter?
Some fire fighters have a very special job. They visit schools to teach fire safety. They tell children how to prevent fires and how to report them. They teach children how to escape from a fire. They make sure schools are safe.
Most fire fighters stay at the fire station for 24 hours -- a full day and night. They eat and sleep there.
Fire fighters have chores at the fire station. They keep the station clean. They wash the fire trucks. They make sure the hoses and other tools work well. They keep themselves safe.
Fire fighters eat in the fire station. They make their meals. Some fire fighters shop for the food. Some cook. Others clean up and wash the dishes. Everyone helps, and everyone is glad when it is time to sit down to eat.
A fire fighter uses a pole to move down quickly.
But sometimes the alarm goes off just as the fire fighters sit down!
Then the fire fighters quickly jump up. They leave their food on the table and rush off to fight another fire.
Fire fighters are busy all the time.
1. Tell about the different jobs fire fighters have to do.
2. Would you like to be a fire fighter? Why or why not?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, make a schedule for a fire station. Show what the fire fighters will do all day and all night. Remember, you do not know when there will be a fire alarm.
Compound words are made by putting two smaller words together. The word firehouse is made from fire and house.
What two smaller words are in teamwork?
Oh, no! Oil has spilled into the water. The ducks are in trouble. Their wings are covered with black oil. They cannot fly. They look sick. Did they drink the polluted water?
These volunteers work without pay. They will help the ducks.
Volunteers hurry to the spilled oil. They must help the ducks quickly. It is hard to catch the ducks. The water is choppy. It pounds against the boat. The boat is rolling from side to side. Finally, the volunteers catch all the ducks.
The volunteers take the ducks to a vet. There is more work to do. First the volunteers wipe the ducks with towels. They wipe off as much oil as they can. Then they check the ducks for broken bones or cuts.
The ducks are sick from drinking the polluted water. The vet gives them medicine. Then the ducks rest in a warm, peaceful place.
The volunteer has learned how to help animals.
The ducks eat some food. They begin to feel better. But they are not healthy yet. Feathers with oil on them are not waterproof. The ducks will drown in water if their feathers are still oily. Also, oily feathers cannot keep the ducks warm.
The volunteers wash out the rest of the oil with dish soap and warm water. They wash the ducks again and again until all the oil is gone. Then they rinse the soap away. Now they will take the ducks to a new, clean home.
The ducks are healthy. The volunteers take them to clean water. The water is cold, but it will not hurt the ducks. They rush into the water and begin to paddle, swim, and quack.
How do you think the volunteers feel now?
1. How do the people in the story help the ducks?
2. Would you ever like to be a volunteer and help ducks or other animals? Tell why or why not.
3. Imagine that you are helping ducks that have oil on them. On a separate sheet of paper, write the steps for cleaning a duck and returning it to the water.
The verbs paddle, swim, and quack tell some things ducks can do. What are other words for things that ducks can do?
Abby and Caleb giggled as the puppies jumped around them, but Mom looked serious.
"Raising puppies is a big job," she said. "Puppies need food and water. They need walks and baths. Most of all, they need to learn to behave."
Caleb picked up his wiggling puppy. "Don't worry," Caleb said. "Puppy training is our 4-H project. We can start tomorrow."
"Yes," said Abby. "When the puppies are six months old, they can enter the puppy show. My puppy will win!"
The next day, the children put leashes on the puppies. When the puppies tried to run away, Caleb and Abby called "Come!" and pulled on their leashes.
As soon as the puppies learned one command, the children taught them a new one.
Now and Before
Some actions happened in the past, and some happen now. Action words help you understand when things happen.
Caleb and Abby practiced with the puppies for a short time every day. The puppies were a real handful. The first thing they learned was the word no.
After each training time, Caleb and Abby played with the puppies. The puppies wagged their tails. They liked learning. That was a good thing. Mom told the children, "Before you know it, it will be time for the puppy show!"
On the day of the show, all the 4-H club members walked their puppies around the ring. The puppies heeled, sat, stayed, and came when they were called.
Abby was right. Her puppy did win. Every puppy won a prize!
1. Why did Caleb and Abby train their puppies?
2. How well do you think the children trained the dogs?
3. What kind of pet would you like to have? What would you teach it?
A puppy can bark. If a puppy made that sound yesterday, what is the word to tell about it? The puppy.
"Hello, friend!"
It is nice when a friend says hello to you. Friends are special. Having a friend is one of the greatest parts of life.
You want to have good friends. You want to be a good friend, too.
How do you make friends?
When you see someone standing alone, you could say hello. You could ask to play together. This is one thing you could say.
"Hi, my name is Alberto. Would you like to play soccer with us?"
Have you ever wondered what a good friend does?
A good friend helps you. A good friend talks with you. A good friend plays with you and shares.
If you want to be a good friend, you should care for your friends. You should play and share with your friends, too.
These are the things you could do to be a good friend.
If your friend falls down, then you should go and help.
If your friend is feeling sad, then you should ask what is wrong.
If you are playing a game, then you should ask your friend to play.
Friends don't always get along. What can you do if you don't agree with a friend?
Listen to what your friend has to say. Try to share. You may need to pick something else to play. You may need some time away. If you were not nice, then say you are sorry.
This is how two friends might solve a problem.
"That's my snack!"
"No, it is mine!"
"What if we share?"
"That would be nice."
"I am sorry that I was going to keep it all for myself."
How does it feel when you have a good friend?
You feel happy. You like to play together. You read together. You walk together, and you keep each other company. A friend makes you feel like a good friend, too!
1. What does the author want you to know about making a new friend?
2. What can you do when you don't get along with your friends?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about some things that make you a good friend to someone.
A friend is a special person. Other words have friend in them, such as friendly and friendship. What do you think the words friendly and friendship mean?
Hello! I am Mr. Do-Right. Welcome to my T. V. talk show. This afternoon we are talking about being responsible.
The Three Little Kittens are here.
You may know about them. There is a famous rhyme about them. Here is how it goes.
Three little kittens. They lost their mittens;
And they began to cry "Oh, Mother dear, we sadly fear our mittens we have lost."
"What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Meow, meow, meow.
You shall have no pie."
Let's talk to the kittens! We will ask them what happened to their mittens. (Everyone claps.)
How did you lose the mittens?
We took them off when they got muddy. Then we chased some rats, and we forgot about our mittens.
When we got home, we didn't have our mittens to hang up to dry.
What did your mother do?
She said we couldn't have pie. We should have taken better care of our mittens.
The rhyme also says, "The three little kittens, they found their mittens." Tell us about that.
We wanted to solve our problem. We wanted to find the mittens. We went back to the playground. The mittens were there, on the ground.
Then we went home and washed our mittens. It was important to show Mother that we would try harder to take care of our things.
What did your mother do?
She was pleased, or happy with us. Then she let us eat some pie.
What did you learn from this?
Take care of your things.
Solve problems yourself.
Do the right thing!
Those are important ideas! Thank you, and good-bye!
1. How did the Three Little Kittens end up getting pie?
2. What did the kittens learn?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a time you lost something.
Tell how you felt.
Sometimes you can add an -s to a word to make it plural. For example: mitten changes to mittens.
What are the plural forms of the following words from the story?
So you want to play ball!
This is what you can do.
Find some friends to play with you.
So you want to play ball!
Look around and see.
Set up the bases -- one, two, three.
So you want to play ball!
You will need a baseball bat. Players hit the ball with that.
So you will play ball!
Two teams will play.
The other team starts in the field today.
Now you are playing ball.
It's your turn at bat.
You hit the ball far! Look at that
So you run from base to base.
You run fast. You're doing great!
You try to run all the way to home plate.
So you like playing ball!
Listen to the cheers!
It's the best sound that a player hears!
1. What are some of the things you need to play baseball?
2. Where would you play a game like baseball?
3. Do you like playing on a team? On a separate paper write about what you like most in sports or games.
In baseball, some words have special meanings. The batter is the player who tries to hit the ball. Home plate is the place where the batter stands. In the field is where the players who try to catch the baseball stand. Which player holds a bat -- a player at home plate or a player in the field?
Think about a parade. Someone marches by with the American flag, and everyone stands. People take off their hats. Many people put their hands over their hearts. Why do they do these things?
People show honor to the flag and to the United States when they do these things.
The American flag has not always looked the way it does today. The United States has changed. So has the American flag!
When the United States was a new country, there were 13 states. The first American flag had 13 stars and 13 stripes. The stars and stripes stood for the first states of the country.
Early flags did not always look the same.
Over the years, the flag changed. More states joined the country. More stars and stripes were added to the flag. But the stars and stripes did not look the same on every flag. The stars were placed in different ways. Some stars even had a different number of points. Flag makers sometimes made the stripes look different, too.
In 1892, Francis Bellamy wrote a pledge, or promise, to the flag. It is called the Pledge of Allegiance. The pledge was first printed in a magazine for young people. School children all across the country began to say the pledge everyday.
Many children still say the pledge today. Saying the pledge is another way to honor the flag and America.
In 1912, President Taft said that all United States flags had to look the same. Each flag needed 13 stripes. There should be a star for every state. The stars should be in rows.
The American flag has 13 stripes.
The stripes stand for the first states of the country. The flag has 50 stars. These stars stand for each state in the United States. Sometimes our flag is called "The Stars and Stripes."
Where do you see the flag? Today schools have American flags that fly overhead. You can also see the flag in front of other public buildings, such as libraries and fire stations. Parks and sports fields have flags, too.
When you see the flag, think about how our country has grown. The Stars and Stripes will help you remember!
1. How has the flag changed over time?
2. What are some things people do to show respect for the flag?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about what you think when you see the flag of the United States.
When people say "The flag flies," they mean that it floats and waves in the air. The word fly has other meanings, too. What does a bird do when it flies? What does it mean to fly a kite?
Benito and his family were ready to celebrate the New Year.
"It's almost midnight, Benito," Grandfather said. "Get twelve grapes for you and twelve grapes for me."
Benito went to the table to collect the grapes. He pulled the grapes from the stem. He put twelve grapes into a cup.
Benito pulled twelve more grapes. He put them into another cup. One cup was for Grandfather, and the other cup was for Benito.
"Why do we eat twelve grapes at the New Year, Abuelo?" Benito asked.
He called his grandfather Abuelo. Abuelo is the Spanish word for grandfather.
"Think about it, Benito. How does the number twelve match the New Year?" Grandfather asked.
"There are twelve months in a year," Benito said.
"This is true," said Grandfather. "And how do grapes taste?" he asked.
"Grapes taste sweet," said Benito.
"So why do you think that we eat twelve grapes as the New Year begins?"
"I know!" said Benito. "Each grape is for one month of the New Year. We eat the grapes to wish that each month of the New Year will be sweet!"
"That is a good answer, Benito," said Grandfather. "I have been eating twelve grapes at the New Year since I was a little boy. It is one of my favorite Spanish traditions."
At midnight, everyone cheered. They ate their grapes.
"Happy New Year, Abuelo!"
Benito said.
"May the New Year be sweet!" said Grandfather.
1. What does eating twelve grapes for the New Year mean to Grandfather?
2. Does Benito like eating grapes at the New Year? Do you think he will eat grapes next year for the New Year?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a tradition your family likes to follow when they celebrate.
The names of the twelve months are: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.
Do you know the names of any of these months in any other language?
Who Is a Cowboy?
A cowboy is a person who works with cattle. There were many cowboys long ago in the American West. Today, there are still some working cowboys.
There are women who work with cattle, too. They can be called cowgirls.
Cowboys feed the cattle and take care of them.
What Does a Cowboy Do?
A cowboy or cowgirl does many kinds of work with cattle. They take care of the cattle. They ride horses to round up the cattle. Cowboys take cattle to market. At the market, the owner sells the cattle.
What Is a Cattle Drive?
Long ago, cowboys rode horses and herded cattle along trails. This is how ranchers got their cattle to market to sell them. Sometimes it was a long trip that lasted for weeks. It was called a cattle drive. Now cattle are taken to market in trailers pulled by trucks or in trains.
What Do Cowboys Wear?
A cowboy's clothes help protect him from the weather. Most cowboys wear blue jeans, shirts, boots, and hats. The boots may have metal parts called spurs. Some cowboys wear leather chaps to cover their pants. Many cowboys wear bandannas. Cowboys may also wear gloves to protect their hands as they handle the ropes.
What Tools Does a Cowboy Use?
A cowboy needs a saddle to ride his horse. A saddle is a seat on a horse's back. A cowboy also needs a rope to catch cattle. Today, many cowboys drive trucks to carry food for the cattle.
Is Everyone Who Wears a Cowboy Hat a Cowboy or a Cowgirl?
Many kinds of people like to wear cowboy hats. Some singers wear them. People in movies wear them. Police sometimes wear cowboy hats. Boys and girls sometimes wear them. Would you ever like to wear a cowboy hat?
What Is a Rodeo?
A rodeo is a contest where cowboys and cowgirls show their skills. The events include horse riding, barrel racing, and more. A rodeo is one place to see cowboys and cowgirls in action. What would you like to see a cowboy or cowgirl do?
1. Tell why you think cowboys do hard work.
2. If you could meet a cowboy or a cowgirl, what question would you ask?
3. Describe cowboys or cowgirls. On a separate paper, write about how they look, what they wear, or what they do.
Some words can tell about actions and can name things. The noun herd means "a group of the same kind of animals."
The verb herd means "to move a group of animals together." Another word that can be used in two different ways is ride.
A person can take a bus ride to school. Use the verb ride to tell what a cowboy can do.
David was leaving school.
"David!" He heard his friend Marco's voice. "Do you want to come and play baseball with me?" Marco asked. "You can borrow my new baseball glove."
"Maybe later," said David. "Right now I have to go and dig wild onions with my mom. You and your mom can come too."
The two boys and their mothers went to look for wild onions. They went to a creek.
David's mother said, "We can find wild onions along the bank and in the shade."
David's mom showed them how to tell which plants were wild onions. She showed them how to dig up the onions with a stick.
"What are you going to do with all these wild onions?" Marco asked.
"We will have a Wild Onion Dinner," said David. "Do you want to come?"
"What is a Wild Onion Dinner?" Marco asked.
"It's a Muscogee tradition," said David. "My grandmother says that no one can be ready for summer until they have eaten wild onions in the spring."
The Muscogee are a group of Native Americans.
Sometimes the Muscogee people are called the Creeks, or the Creek people.
In this story, David and his mother are part of a Muscogee family.
"I want to be ready for summer!" said Marco. "I'll eat some wild onions. Are there other things to eat, too?"
"Sure," said David. "There will even be dessert."
"Will it be made of wild onions?" asked Marco.
David laughed and said no.
The next day, David and his mom gave a ride to Marco and Marco's mom. In the car they rode to the Wild Onion Dinner.
"Look at all the people!" said Marco. "The food must be really good."
"It is!" said David. "This is one dinner we don't want to miss. We have to get ready for summer and baseball, don't we?
1. Does this story happen before summer or after summer? Why do the Muscogee people have a Wild Onion Dinner at that time of year?
2. Do you think that David has been to a Wild Onion Dinner before? Why or why not?
3. On a sheet of paper, write about a special food that your family prepares. Tell about when you eat the food.
The word bank can have more than one meaning. It can mean "the land at the side of a river or creek" or "a place where people keep money."
What is the meaning of bank on page 3?
City Mouse was tired of the city. So one day, she went to see her friend in the country. The mice ate homemade soup. They climbed trees. They picked beautiful flowers. They rolled down hills.
"I like the country. Birds sing and stars shine," said City Mouse. "But it is so quiet!"
"I know," said Country Mouse. "Maybe the city is better."
The very next day Country Mouse went to see her friend in the city.
The mice went roller-skating on the sidewalk. They ate bread at a bakery.
They saw someone sing at a club.
"See why I missed the city?" said City Mouse.
"I do like the city," said Country Mouse. "There is a lot to do. But I am tired. I need some peace and quiet."
"I think I like the country better," said Country Mouse. "But I had fun today."
"Me too," said City Mouse. "You go back to the country. I will stay in the city. Let's meet somewhere and visit again soon."
In the story, Country Mouse and City Mouse live in very different places. Country Mouse can hear birds sing in the country. She has flowers, trees, hills, and open land. City Mouse lives with many people around her in the city. She can do fun things like roller-skating or shopping or going to a club. Each mouse visits the other place. Each mouse learns that she likes her own place better.
Many people live in the country.
Many other people live in the city. Both places are special in their own ways.
1. Who are the characters in this story? Where does this story take place?
2. Did you predict each mouse would like her own home better? Were you right?
3. Find the word friend in the story. Use it in a sentence.
4. Why do you think City Mouse likes the city? Why does Country Mouse like the country?
Astronauts work together on a spaceship.
Who can be an astronaut?
A man or a woman can be an astronaut. A pilot or a scientist can be an astronaut.
Astronauts eat on the spaceship Endeavour.
How do astronauts eat?
Food comes in special packs. Astronauts add water. Then they eat right out of the pack.
What do astronauts wear?
An astronaut could not live in space without a spacesuit. A spacesuit helps an astronaut stay warm in space. A spacesuit gives an astronaut air.
There is no up or down in space. You can even sleep standing on your head.
Where do astronauts sleep?
Some astronauts sleep in sleeping bags. Other astronauts sleep in beds. Some just find a quiet spot to rest.
Astronauts do experiments in space.
What work do astronauts do?
Many astronauts build or fix machines. Some astronauts do science experiments.
An astronaut has a special view of our world.
Can an astronaut call home?
Astronauts can call everywhere. They can use computers to call home. They can say, "I love you."
1. What is the main idea of this book?
2. How did the author organize this selection? Use the web below. Write the word Astronaut in the center. Write the questions the author asked about astronauts.
3. Make a list of words from the book that have to do with space. Add some of your own words about space to the list.
4. Write your own question about astronauts.
Pup is camping with Mother and Father. It is a beautiful place. He couldn't be happier.
"I would love to build a fire," Pup said. "Please show me how."
"You are too small to build a fire," Mother said. "But you can help."
"I would love to put up a tent," Pup said. "Please show me how."
"You are too small to put it up straight," Father said. "But you can help."
"I would love to scare a bear!" Pup said.
"We don't need to scare a bear. We need some fish," said Father.
They fished at the stream. "After supper, you need to sleep," said Mother.
"I will! Camping makes me sleepy,"
Pup said.
Learning About the Land.
Did you notice that Pup camped in the mountains? Did you notice that Pup camped by a stream?
Camping is a great way to learn about the land. You can camp on a mountain, in a valley, or in the desert. Many campers choose campsites near the water. You can camp near a river, a pond, a lake, or an ocean.
1. Who is the main character in this book? How would you describe him?
2. Where does the story take place? Why is that important?
3. Copy this chart. Then write some words from this book that have the blends pl-and str-. Underline the blends.
4. Why is Pup too small to do some things alone but big enough to help?
What animals might you see in a desert?
You might see an owl flying. It hunts with its sharp eyes.
You might see a prairie dog digging a hole. You might hear a rattlesnake shaking its tail.
You might see a lizard running across the sand early in the morning. You might hear a coyote howling late at night.
What plants live in a desert?
Trees and flowers grow there. Cactuses grow there too. They can store water. This helps them live in the dry desert.
It rains very little in the desert. It can be very warm and dry.
When you go there, remember to bring lots of water!
1. What is the main idea of this book? Name two small pieces of information that tell more about the main idea.
2. The author asks and then answers questions in the book. Create a chart like the one below to list these questions and answers.
3. On a sheet of paper, write all the words in this book that end with -ing. What are the base words?
4. Look at pages 4, 5, and 6. What desert animals are shown on these pages?
Bird: Squirrel, do you know where Fish has gone?
Squirrel: No. I heard a splash, though. Bird: A splash? But Fish is not in his tank!
Bird: Zebra, do you know where Fish has gone?
Zebra: No. He said it was Tuesday, though.
Bird: Tuesday? But how will I learn where Fish has gone?
Elephant: Bird, you can put together the pieces of this puzzle. Fish often takes a bath on Tuesday.
Bird: Oh Elephant, thank you!
Bird: Fish! We're together at last!
Fish: Hello Bird. Will you pass me the soap?
Bird: Here it is, Fish. Have a very good bath!
What do you do when you have a question? How do you find answers?
Have you ever looked up something in an encyclopedia? Have you ever looked up something online? Have you ever asked someone for help?
Or, maybe you've done what Bird did: followed the clues and found the answer yourself!
1. What makes this play a fantasy?
2. Who gave Bird the clues to find Fish? How can you tell which character is talking?
3. Use each of the words listed in a sentence.
4. Have you ever solved a problem by yourself? If not, who did you ask for help?
This dog helps find people lost in the mountains.
Rescue workers help people. Sometimes dogs help rescue workers.
Rescue dogs can find people who are lost. They can pull people away from danger.
A dog's sense of smell is very strong. Rescue dogs use it to find missing people.
Some rescue dogs live with families. A family gets a dog when it is a puppy. They teach it many things.
The dog learns to listen. Once it has heard an order, the dog must act! It must not break the rules. When the dog is ready, it can go to work.
Rescue dogs have happy and busy lives. Maybe one will help you someday!
1. Use a chart like the one below to list the steps a dog goes through from being a puppy to being a working rescue dog.
2. Look at the picture on page 7. Why do you think a dog might need to learn the skill shown there?
3. Why do you think it is good for a puppy to be raised by a family?
4. Do you think it is a good idea to use rescue dogs? Why or why not?
Let's play baseball! "Sam, you're on the team in the field," says the coach. "Take second base," he tells me. "Jill, you'll be on the other team."
Jill is at bat. She steps up to the plate. The pitcher throws the ball really fast! Jill hits it! She runs to first base. Then she starts for second base.
Alex picks up the ball. He throws it to second base. I catch the ball, but it's too late. Jill is safe.
"Jill, you certainly can run!" the pitcher laughs. "Who's next?"
Bryan is up, but he strikes out. Derek is next. He also strikes out. Ann strikes out too. "That was the worst inning ever!" they moan.
Finally, it is the last inning. The score is tied, 1-1. Either team can win!
I pick up the bat. The pitcher tosses the ball, and I hit a home run! We win!
I can't believe it! What a great game!
Little League baseball began in 1939. Today boys and girls, ages 5 to 18, play in baseball and softball programs all over the world.
There are Little League teams in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. The winners from sixteen different regions around the world meet in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the Little League World Series every year.
The Little League World Series allows children from all over the world to compete for the championship.
1. Is this a story that could happen in real life, or is it a make-believe story? Give two examples to support your answer.
2. What did you know about baseball before you read the story? What information about the game of baseball does the story tell?
3. Draw this chart on a separate sheet of paper. List all the contractions in this story. Then write the words that make up each contraction.
4. At the end of the story, all the kids are smiling. Why do you think the kids on the team that did not win are also smiling?
Beavers are busy! These beavers are hard at work. They are building a home in the stream.
Beavers have strong, sharp teeth. First, they use their teeth to cut down trees.
Next, they cut off the branches. Then they cut off the bark.
After this is done the beavers carry the logs toward the stream.
They use mud in order to stick the logs and branches together.
The word for a beaver's home is a lodge. The lodge is big enough for the whole beaver family.
The top of the beaver's home sticks out above the water. The door is under the water.
Baby beavers, called kits, are born safe and dry inside the lodge. Now this stream is a home for beavers.
1. What steps must the beavers take in order to build the lodge?
2. Think about what you read. What did you learn about beavers? Tell the most important things you learned.
3. What words in this book have the r-controlled vowel sound spelled ar or or? Make a chart.
4. How does the lodge protect beavers?
These two dogs are border collies. What do they do? They do a lot!
They help people on farms. Border collies are smart.
A border collie watches over the flock.
When the farmer gives a sign, the border collie knows what to do. It brings in the sheep. The dog runs and barks and moves the sheep into the pen.
The dog is not scared of other animals. It can take care of geese too. It moves the geese where the farmer wants them to be.
This puppy was bought by a farmer. Now he will learn how to work with sheep. He will grow up to be a great helper.
Border collies love to work. They also like to run and play. They have a good time. It is probably lots of fun for them on the farm!
Border collies make the farm pleasant and safe.
"Shall we go get the sheep?" asks the farmer.
"Woof!" bark the dogs.
1. Do you think the author wrote this book to teach the reader something or only to tell a funny story?
2. How do border collies help the farmer with the farm?
3. Copy this chart on a separate sheet of paper. Decide whether these words are singular or plural nouns: farms, sign, pen, dogs, farmer, animals. Write them in the correct boxes.
4. Are border collies farm workers, farm pets, or both? Explain your answer.
All across the country, people are traveling. They go by car and by plane.
Everybody wants to be with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day!
A turkey is cooking in the oven. The table is set.
Everybody promises to bring a dish. It will be a great Thanksgiving dinner! Open the door! Come on in!
Aunt Amy brought stuffing, and Uncle Ralph brought apple pie. Grandma made sweet potatoes. Mary Jo brought carrots.
So many good things to eat!
They all sit down to eat. But first, it is time to give thanks for all the good things we have. Everybody takes a minute to say why he or she is thankful.
After the big meal, everyone helps clean up. Then it is time to play ball behind the house.
When it is time to leave, they are sorry to go. Everybody ate too much. Everybody had fun. It was a great Thanksgiving Day!
1. How do the people in the story feel about Thanksgiving? How can you tell?
2. As you read page 5, what did you see, smell, and hear?
3. How many words can you make from the word Thanksgiving? Write them.
4. Everybody brought a dish. Make a chart like this to show who brought what food.
"We're having a science fair," Miss Heath said. "Each grade will enter a project. We'll work together. People from the village will come to watch us at the fair."
"What can we do?" Miss Heath asked.
"Let's make a new kind of shoe! said Joe.
"Let's study apes!" cried Lana.
"We're studying volcanoes," said Billy. "Let's build a volcano model."
"Yes! We can show how a volcano erupts," the others agreed.
We got an empty soda bottle. We molded dough around it. We tried to make it pretty. We filled the bottle with warm water and red food coloring. We added soap and baking soda.
At the fair, we added vinegar to our volcano. It erupted perfectly. The red foam looked like hot lava flowing down the sides.
Guess who won first place? We did!
Scientists around the world study and work together on different kinds of experiments. Studying volcanoes helps us understand how they form and erupt. It can also help us identify the warning signs of an eruption. Knowing the warning signs can help us save the lives of people who live near volcanoes. All scientists experiment, test their ideas, and draw conclusions from their studies.
Scientists study maps to help people before a volcano erupts.
1. Why do you think the author wrote this story?
2. In this story, what happened first, next, and last? Use a chart like the one below to record your answers.
3. Why do you think it's important to learn about science?
4. How do the children decide what to do for the science fair?
I will show you how the mail works.
First, I write a letter to my aunt in a faraway town. I write about school. I draw a picture of me, my parents, and my dog.
I put the letter in an envelope and seal it. I write my aunt's address on the envelope in my best handwriting.
Then I put a stamp on the envelope. I make sure it sticks. I don't want it to wash away.
I go to the mailbox near my home. My dog keeps me company. I open the box and drop the letter in.
A mail carrier empties the mailbox. He brings the mail to a post office. It is sorted and put on a truck. Then it goes to all parts of the country.
Mail carriers deliver the letters, even if it's raining or cold. The mail carriers put the letters in the right mailboxes.
At last, my aunt gets my letter! She is so happy. I hope I get an answer soon!
1. Would you like to be a mail carrier? What do you think you would or would not like about it? Use a chart like the one below to write your answers.
2. What does a letter look like when it is ready to be mailed?
3. What words in this book name the parts of a letter? List these words on a separate sheet of paper.
4. Who would you like to write a letter to? What would you tell that person?
Fishermen cast their nets out into the sea. They wait. Finally, the fish swim into the net. Then the fishermen pull up the net and the fish.
Some fishermen sell whatever fish they catch. Others bring the fish home to eat. Many fishermen will be back tomorrow.
Think about this: How are a fishing net and a web like this one the same?
The spider spins a web with silk thread. Can you believe one little spider can build something like this?
The spider is hungry after all its work. The spider will eat whatever has been caught in the net.
1. What happens after fishermen cast their nets into the sea? Use a chart like the one below to help you.
2. What did you do when you did not understand what you read? Did you reread or read on? Did you take your time and read slowly? What works best?
3. What words in this book are compound words? Make a list on a separate sheet of paper. Add other compound words you know.
4. How is a spider's web like a fisherman's net?
Today is Papa's birthday. Mama wants a picture of their family. But Ana wants to be alone. She is too shy for pictures.
"We need help cooking dinner for tonight," Mama says. "Papa should I rest on his birthday. Oh, where are my daughters when I need them?"
Ana is the youngest child in her family. She thinks she's too small to help. She tries to stay out of the way.
"Where are all the tortillas?" Mama asks. "We had so many!"
"I think we ate them last night," says Clara. "I'll call Papa. He can go to town to buy more."
"We need more tortillas," says Clara. "But Mama and I are busy."
"It's all right. I can get them," Papa says.
"You don't have to go alone, Papa," says Ana. "It's your birthday. I want to help. I'll go with you!"
"Good for you, Ana!" calls Mama.
"Now don't be shy! Ask for ten tortillas. Half flour, half corn."
The farmers at the market are nice. Ana doesn't feel shy at all! She gets just what Mama asked for. She feels happy.
Papa's birthday dinner was tasty. Everyone helped make it. Even shy Ana helped!
Long ago, the Spanish brought beef, chicken, cheese, and olives to the Americas. In Mexico they found people growing corn, tomatoes, beans, and chilies. These foods were combined to make wonderful new recipes!
Every region developed its own recipes. The Mexican people living in the southwest of the United States made a dish called nachos. Crisp tortilla chips are covered with cheese, tomatoes, and other delicious toppings. Nachos are now popular all over the country.
1. What is the plot of the story?
2. Do you think Ana will continue to be shy? Why or why not? Use a chart like the one below to record your answer.
3. Ana is the youngest daughter. What does Ana think about herself because of this?
4. Why didn't Ana feel shy at the market?
Do you ever wonder why some things float and some things sink?
When you wonder, you are beginning to think like a scientist. Scientists do a lot of wondering.
Think of what you know about floating. Does money float? A dollar bill floats. But a penny sinks. Clothes may float for a while. But once they are wet, they sink.
In science, thinking of a question is called defining a problem.
Scientists are taught to think about what they know. Then they think about what they want to know. They spend hours thinking up questions.
Here is a question you can test at home. If something floats in saltwater, will it also float in freshwater?
A scientist will try to guess the answer to a question. Then the scientist does a test.
You know that boats float on the ocean. Birds also float on the ocean. The ocean is made up of saltwater.
In science, trying to guess the answer is called giving a hypothesis.
Boats and birds also float on lakes. Lakes are made up of freshwater.
You might guess that floating is the same on freshwater as it is on saltwater.
Next, test your guess about saltwater and freshwater.
You will need your biggest soup pot, 1 orange, 1 cup of salt, and 10 cups of water.
This test has two parts. First, you will test freshwater. Then, you will test saltwater.
The only thing that will change in your test is salt. The pot, the water, and the orange will stay the same.
Put 10 cups of water in your pot. Take the peel off the orange. Drop the orange in the pot. Write down what happens.
The orange sinks.
In science, taking notes is called collecting data.
Take the orange out of the pot. Now, stir 1 cup of salt into the same water. Drop the same orange into the pot. Write down what happens.
The orange floats.
In science, sharing what you learn is called telling your conclusion.
We made a guess about floating. We tested our guess. Our guess was wrong, but that is OK. We learned that some things may sink in freshwater but float in saltwater.
Share what you learned with a friend or neighbor.
1. Reread pages 10-11. What was added to the water? What effect did this have?
2. Look at page 5. What information in the text helps you know what questions the caption is talking about?
3. Why do you think asking questions is an important part of science?
4. Create your own chart of the steps scientists use to find out about things. You can use a format like the one below.
It's summer. So Mama and I visit Nana.
Nana has lemonade for us. I drink my lemonade. Then I go play with things I find in two of Nana's old trunks.
I play dress-up with the old clothes in one of the trunks. Last time, I dressed up and pretended to be a queen.
The other trunk is full of quilts. They are wrapped up in blankets. I like the bright butterfly quilt the best.
Nana helps me get it unpacked. She tells the story about how it was made. She tells about the different people that the butterfly shapes represent.
"This quilt was made by your great-great-grandmother Nell," Nana says.
"First, Nell saved pieces from old clothes. Next, she cut the pieces into the shapes of butterfly wings.
"Then, she sewed two pairs of wings on a square of cloth. Last, she stitched on black antennae and a long body.
"When Nell had lots of butterfly squares, she stitched them all together into one big piece. After that, she stitched the butterfly piece to a plain sheet. She put soft stuffing inside. It took her a long time to finish the quilt."
Nana points to the quilt. She says, "This butterfly was made from an old plaid shirt that Nell's father wore in the store. This other butterfly came from a bandana your great-great-grandfather wore on his farm.
"This one came from a dress my mother wore," Nana said. "This flower print came from Great-aunt Bella's curtains. This blue stripe came from Great-uncle Bob's baseball uniform."
I help Nana pack the quilt away after she tells us the butterfly quilt story. Then it's time for Mama and me to go home.
On our way home, I tell Mama, "I think we should make a quilt for our part of the family. Then, someday you can tell a quilt story to your grandchildren."
Many Native American families make special quilts. Some quilts are handed down in families to help tell family stories. They are offered as gifts at weddings, births, funerals, and tribal meetings.
Star shapes have special meaning for many Native Americans. The patterns are made from small diamond shapes. They are cut from plain, brightly colored material. The shapes are pieced together into a star shape, sometimes called the morning star pattern.
Reader Response
1. How are the butterfly quilt and the morning star quilt on page 12 similar? How are they different?
2. It took several steps for Nell to create the butterflies for her quilt. What did she do first, next, and last? Use the chart below to help you put these steps in order.
3. What could be another word for trunk?
4. Why do you think Nana's grandmother used old scraps to make the butterfly quilt instead of buying new cloth?
It is always good to eat vegetables. It is also good to grow your vegetables!
Tomatoes are good vegetables for growing at home. How do you grow tomatoes?
First, plant tomato seeds in small pots. Put the pots in a warm, sunny place in your house. Water them. Soon green stems will peek out. Leaves will grow! Keep them inside for six weeks.
Outside, dig holes in the soil. Take any rocks out of the soil so that it will not be bumpy.
Slide the plants out of the pots. Be careful not to break the roots. Place them into the holes. Pat down the soil around the plants.
Tomatoes are thirsty plants. They will need water. Do not water one plant more than others. Also, do not let the soil stay dry for too long.
Fertilizer is special food for plants that helps them grow. You can buy fertilizer or make your own. Some people use food scraps and plants to make their own fertilizer called compost.
Tomato plants can grow quite tall. The tomato vines must be held up. If not, the tomato plants will flop on the ground. They will not get enough sun.
Wooden stakes can keep your tomato plants standing tall. As the plants grow, tie the vines to the stakes. Tie them very gently so the vines do not break.
You must also prune your tomato plants. When you prune, you trim the leaves and stems that are yellow or brown. Try to keep the plants healthy and green!
If you water, fertilize, stake, and prune your tomato plants, they will grow. White or yellow flowers will bloom. Soon, small green fruit will start to show. Tomatoes are on the way!
It is time for harvest when your tomatoes are a deep red color. Pick them. Wash them so that they are clean and smooth. Then enjoy your tomatoes!
1. Read page 6 of this book again. Is the information that tomato plants need water a statement of fact or opinion? What words on the page help you know this?
2. What new information did you learn about growing tomatoes from this book? Use a chart like the one below to help you think of questions you may need to ask to learn more before growing a tomato plant.
3. The words bumpy and smooth both tell how something feels. List other words that tell how something feels?
4. What do the words vine and stake mean? Use the pictures on pages 8 and 9 to help you understand these words.
A mother frog lays her eggs in the pond. She kicks her powerful back legs and leaps away. Soon something wonderful will happen.
The tiny frog eggs have no shell. They are covered with clear jelly. The frog eggs stick together in big clumps.
Inside each egg is the beginning of a frog. The black dot is a tadpole growing. The tadpoles change as they grow. Something wonderful begins to happen.
The new tadpoles hatch from their eggs. They look like little fish. The tadpoles have gills like fish to help them breathe under water. The tadpoles eat tiny water plants.
Now hind legs grow. After a while the tadpole grows lungs. Lungs let the tadpole breathe air too. Something wonderful is happening.
Now the tadpole changes again. Front legs come out, one at a time. Its eyes grow larger. Its mouth grows wider. Now it looks like a frog with a tail.
The tadpole's tail goes away. Then it crawls out of the water. The tadpole is a froglet. The froglet has shed its tadpole skin. Something wonderful has happened.
The tadpole has become a frog. It can live on land or in the water. The frog uses its long, sticky tongue to eat insects.
One day the frog will lay eggs in the pond. Inside each egg a tadpole will change and grow. Something wonderful will happen all over again.
Follow the diagram. The frog lays the eggs. What happens next? What happens last?
1. Compare the frog on page 10 with the tadpole on page 8. What has changed? What has stayed the same?
2. Use words and drawings on a chart like the one below to describe how a tadpole changes as it grows.
3. The word shed has more than one meaning. What is the meaning of the word shed on page 9? What else does the word shed mean?
4. Look at the diagram of a frog's life on page 12. How does this diagram help you understand a frog's life cycle?
"It's not fair!" Jen stamped her foot. "I love the city. I don't want to move."
"I think you'll both enjoy the country when we get there," Dad said. "I'll take you fishing."
After dinner Jen and her brother Roy went up to the roof. "I'll miss you, Louie," Jen said to her pigeon.
"Bye, Lisa," Jen waved to her best friend. Tears ran down her cheeks.
As they drove away, they passed Jen's block, shops, her school, and the park. They crossed the bridge out of the city.
They passed fields with corn and cows. They came into a little town. They drove up a driveway to a little house.
"We're home!" Mom said. Jen kept quiet.
That afternoon Dad fixed things in the new house.
"Can we go fishing?" Jen asked. "Not yet, but soon," said Dad.
The next morning, Jen went exploring. Roy joined her.
"What's that animal across the road?" Jen asked. They walked over.
Then they heard a chuckle. A strong looking girl popped out of a shed. "It's a goat!" she said. "And I'm Amelia." "What are goats?" Roy asked.
"Goats are friendly animals," said Amelia. "They're no trouble."
Jen ran home to get her dad. They all went back to talk to Amelia. Soon, Jen was leading their new goat home.
"Let's call him Grazer," she told Roy.
That night, Dad said, "Let's go fishing tomorrow! We'll catch giant fish here." "Yeah!" yelled Jen and Roy.
Jen smiled at Mom. "I think I like the country!" she said. Mom winked at her.
Have you seen birds fly south for the winter? We say they migrate. People can migrate too.
Sometimes people migrate, or move, to find jobs. Sometime they want to be in a new place. People may also migrate to warmer places in the winter. This could help them stay healthy. What are some other reasons you can think of that people might migrate?
1. What is the plot of this story? What happened in the beginning, the middle, and the end?
2. What did Jen miss about living in the city? What new things did she enjoy about the country? Summarize the things Jen liked about each place. Use a chart like the one below to organize your ideas.
3. What does the word chuckle mean on page 9?
4. Why do you think Jen stays quiet on page 6?
Tony, Lisa, and Mom were having a special day at the beach.
"Let's make a sand castle," said Tony.
"Not yet," said Mom. "You need more sunscreen. The sun is strong today. Let's go find a place for our picnic."
Lisa pointed her finger at a tree. "We can find shade there," she said.
Tony clung to his mother's hand. Walking on the sand was hard.
"Look at the sky!" Tony said.
Dark clouds were rolling in.
"Those are rain clouds!" said Mom.
They heard a loud clap of thunder. "Quick! Go to the car!" Mom said. "The sky sounds angry!" Tony said.
"We are safer here in the car," Mom told Lisa and Tony. "It is not smart to be under tree branches when there is lightning."
Lisa was pressing her face against the car window. "I think the storm is cool!" she said.
Tony, Lisa, and Mom ate lunch. They waited for the storm to end.
"It stopped raining!" said Tony. "Can we go back to the beach?"
"Yes," Mom said. "But we need to stay on the sand. Lightning could still strike. The waves could be very high."
"The lifeguard says it's safe now, Mom," Lisa said. "There has not been thunder for thirty minutes. Let's swim!" "Yes, let's swim!" said Tony.
Thunderstorms can happen very quickly. They are hard to predict. Thunderstorms can produce lightning, which can be dangerous.
To stay safe in a thunderstorm, seek shelter indoors. If you are inside, stay away from windows and don't use any electrical appliances or telephones.
1. What is one fact and one opinion on pages 8 and 9?
2. Reread page 12. What are some questions you have about thunderstorms after reading this page? Use a web like the one below to brainstorm your questions.
3. On a separate sheet of paper write one complete sentence for each of the following words: angry, clung, picnic, special.
4. Reread page 10. Why do you think Mom was worried about the waves being too high?
A community is a group of people. Neighborhoods and towns are made up of communities. People in communities do things together.
What communities are you a part of?
Communities need helpers. A town has many community helpers. They are called service workers. Let's see how service workers help!
Police officers patrol their communities using cars, bicycles, or horses. They make sure everyone is safe. Some police officers direct traffic. Police officers help the people in a community live together in peace and safety.
Firefighters put out fires in their communities. Fire trucks are tightly packed with ladders, hoses, and masks. Firefighters save people from burning buildings.
When an alarm starts ringing in the fire station, firefighters jump into their fire trucks. The trucks roar to the fire. Then the firefighters use their hoses to put out the fire.
Teachers and coaches are also community workers. Your teachers help you learn. They may teach you how to read and write. Coaches help you learn how to play sports. Coaches also teach you how to play fairly.
Doctors and nurses help people stay healthy. When people are sick or hurt, doctors and nurses help them feel better. Doctors and nurses may work in hospitals and clinics.
First-aid workers also help people who are sick or hurt. They quickly drive people to the hospital in their ambulances. First-aid workers save lives in our communities every day.
Postal workers work at the post office. They help their communities by taking care of the mail. Mail carriers carry mail to homes and work places. Who brings your mail?
You may know a librarian at your school or local library. Librarians help people find information and books.
Communities are made up of people who live together and help each other. What other community workers can you name?
Reader Response
1. What is the main idea in this book?
2. What happens when firefighters get a call about a fire in their community? Make a graphic organizer like the one below to write down events in order. Start at the fire station.
3. Many community workers work in special buildings. What are the names of some buildings you read about in this book?
4. Look at the illustrations on pages 6 and 7. What special clothes and tools do firefighters use?
A bad storm can hit with rolling thunder and lightning flashes. Sometimes animals are in danger because of such a storm. The Coast Guard is a group that rescues people or animals that are in danger in the water.
On March 7, 2001, the Coast Guard rescued twelve horses from a flood on a farm in Monroe, Louisiana. The farm was normally a sunny place with pretty hills, but this day was dark and stormy. Rain pounded down.
It rained for so long that the rivers filled up. Water poured onto the land. The land began to flood.
The farmers tried to take the horses to a safe place, but twelve horses were trapped in deep water.
The farmers called the United States Coast Guard for help. The Coast Guard had to make a plan to save the horses. They usually did not rescue such large animals.
The Coast Guard used boats and helicopters. They also used slings that were made just for horses. They also called animal doctors to take care of the horses.
Helicopters flew to the place where the horses were last seen. By this time the water came up to the horses' backs and even their necks!
The Coast Guard flew into the storm to get to the horses. They loaded the smaller horses onto a boat. They moved the boat to dry land, where the horses would be safe.
The Coast Guard used helicopters to save the big horses. First, they flew above the horses. Rain poured down, but they kept going. Next, they sent a person down to help each horse into a sling.
When the horse was in the sling, the helicopter lifted it high into the air! The helicopters carried each horse to dry land. Veterinarians made sure the horses were not hurt.
Storms and floods can be very dangerous. The horses in Monroe were lucky the Coast Guard was there to help. Thanks to a good plan and hard work, the horses were safe and dry at last!
Reader Response
1. What events led up to the horses being trapped in deep water?
2. Use a chart like the one below to show in order the steps the Coast Guard took to save the big horses.
3. Reread page 3. What does "lightning flashes" mean?
4. Look at the illustration on pages 10 and
11. How does it help you understand how the horses were rescued?
"Sally, I have a special treat for you!" Grandma Betty said.
Sally's heart was pounding. Maybe this was the present she had been waiting for.
"A puppy!" Sally yelled. She grabbed Grandma and gave her a big hug. "Thanks!" Sally saw that her puppy was running and chewing everything in sight. His tail wagged so fast that it was blurry.
Sally looked around. In just two minutes the wild puppy had made a big mess! He had bumped the chairs. He had even knocked over two plants.
"Sally, a puppy is a lot of work," Grandma Betty warned. Sally was sure she could do it.
"We will practice until Sparks is the perfect puppy! Right, boy?"
He gave her hand a sloppy, dripping lick.
Sally tried to get Sparks to listen to her voice. She needed him to do what she said. It did not seem to be working. If she told Sparks to come, he would go. If she told Sparks to fetch, he would drop.
But soon Sparks began to obey. He got hug after hug for listening so well. Sally was so proud of her wild puppy!
Sparks became a good listener. Now Sally worked on his chewing. He loved his new chew toy. He stopped chewing chairs. But he couldn't stop chewing on Sally's slippers!
Sally didn't mind.
Sparks turned out to be a great student! Sally and Sparks went everywhere together. Sparks loved when Sally ran and he chased.
Sally smiled when people told her how good her dog was. She would hug her friend and whisper to him, "Not so wild anymore, right, Sparks?"
There are things dog owners can do to make sure people are safe and comfortable near their pets. Making sure your neighbors are safe and comfortable around your pet makes you a good citizen. Here are some easy steps to follow:
Make sure your dog wears a collar with an ID tag so that it can be identified and returned if lost.
Train your dog to obey and to behave nicely around people.
Keep your dog on a leash each time you take it for a walk.
Always clean up after your dog.
1. What is the big idea of this story? Make a chart like the one below. Write down what happened in the book.
2. Sally said she and Sparks would practice until he was a perfect puppy. What do you know about practicing that will make Sally successful?
3. What is a treat? What kind of treats do you think Sally might give Sparks?
4. Sally worked hard to train her new puppy. Imagine that Sally had not done this. How would the story be different?
Do you like adventure? Maybe you like to go hiking. Maybe you've climbed hills. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go exploring with your friends?
Maybe you would like to join an outdoor adventure club. In this kind of club you can learn about nature. You can learn how to work as part of a team. You can make new friends!
In an adventure club you might go camping. You will learn how to use all kinds of outdoor tools. The picture below shows some of the things you might use.
There are many exciting places to visit. You might visit the mountains. You might go canoeing down a cool river. Canoeing needs teamwork. Everyone in the canoe needs to paddle together.
You could go sailing on a lake. Sailing is not always easy. But it is a lot of fun! A sailboat has many ropes and other parts. You need to work with a friend to learn how to use them all.
Some adventure clubs might take you on trips to the desert. You can explore lakes and rivers. You can learn all about desert plants and animals. You might go white water rafting.
People on teams help each other. Sometimes you will learn something fast. Then you can teach your friends. Other times your friends might teach you.
Some city adventure groups meet in clubhouses. You can work with other kids to learn about your city. You might help paint a mural or plant a community garden.
Joining an adventure club could be the greatest thing you ever did! The new skills you learn will stay with you forever.
You could meet your truest friends in an adventure club. You will learn and laugh together.
You will work hard as a team. Are you ready to start an adventure?
1. What do you think the author hopes you will do after reading this book?
2. What do you know about white water rafting? What do you want to know? What did you learn about it from reading page 8? Use a chart like the one below to record your answers.
3. What two words can you break the word clubhouse into? How can this help you remember the meaning of the word?
4. Why do you think the author often says that adventure club members need to work as a team?
Andrew woke up and smiled. It was an important day. His family was going to have a yard sale!
Andrew walked outside with Dad. Mom had already set up long tables.
Andrew was going to sell some of his old toys. He was excited. He had some ideas of new things he wanted to buy.
Andrew put his toys on the table. Then he saw a beautiful red sign. "What's that?" Andrew asked.
Mom smiled and said, "Your grandpa used to be a signmaker. He painted signs on glass for the townspeople."
Mom left the table to talk to someone. Andrew picked up the sign.
Just then, a little girl stopped to look at his toys. Maybe he would make his first sale! Andrew dropped the sign and turned around. He heard a loud crash. Grandpa's sign had fallen off the table. It cracked into two pieces!
Andrew looked around. No one was looking. No one would know who was to blame. He hid the broken sign.
Andrew sold his toys. But he felt bad all afternoon. He didn't tell Mom about breaking Grandpa's sign.
The yard sale ended. Andrew and Mom went inside. Soon, Dad walked in carrying Grandpa's broken sign.
"Look what I found under a bush!" Dad said. "Someone broke it and hid it." Andrew looked down at his shoes.
"I broke it, Dad," he said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to."
"Why did you hide it?" asked Mom. "I was wrong. I made a big mistake," Andrew said.
"Yes, you did," Mom told him. "I'm sorry," said Andrew.
"Well, next time will you be more careful and honest?" Mom asked. Andrew nodded his head.
After dinner, Andrew helped his dad fix the sign. Mom brought out some other signs Grandpa had made. This time Andrew was very careful!
Something usually happens when you do the wrong thing. If you do something wrong at school, you might get your name on the board. If you ignore safety rules, you can get hurt. If you litter, you make places dirty and ugly.
Even if you don't get caught, there is a result. Doing wrong can make you and others sad. We don't like ourselves as much when we've done something wrong.
1. Do you think this story could happen in real life? Tell why or why not.
2. Reread pages 5 and 6. In your own words explain how Andrew broke the sign. Make a time line like the one below to show exactly what happened.
3. Explain the meaning of the sentence "No one would know who was to blame," on page 7.
4. Why do you think Andrew did what he did? What could Andrew have done to avoid the accident?
Baseball is very different today than it was in the past. For many years, African Americans were not allowed to play in the major leagues. Instead, African American players played in separate baseball leagues. They were called the Negro leagues.
People would not let great African American players join major league baseball until the mid-1940s. They were not allowed to play because of their skin color.
Satchel Paige played in the Negro leagues. He threw a baseball with great control. He could trick any hitter at the plate. Satchel Paige pitched and enjoyed the cheers of fans for more than twenty years.
In the 1940s some African American players were finally asked to join the major leagues. Paige joined the Cleveland Indians. His pitching helped the Indians win the 1948 World Series.
James "Cool Papa" Bell was known for his speed in running around the bases. For thirty years Cool Papa Bell was called the fastest man in baseball.
Cool Papa Bell sailed across the field. People joked that he ran so fast he could turn off the lights and be in bed before they went out! Cool Papa Bell entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Josh Gibson was best known for his batting skill. Some think he may be the greatest home run hitter in history. Some of Josh Gibson's home runs are still famous today.
Josh Gibson once hit a home run in Pittsburgh. The next day a ball landed in a ballpark in Philadelphia. It was more than two hundred miles away. People joked and said it must have been Gibson's hit from the day before!
Josh Gibson played in the Negro leagues for seventeen years. He hit almost eight hundred home runs. Josh Gibson joined the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
These three great ballplayers were kept out of the major leagues for many years. They were left out because of the color of their skin. This was not fair. Their amazing skill showed that they belonged with the best. Today they are all in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1. How is baseball today different from baseball in the past? Use a chart like the one below to organize your ideas
2. Read page 8. Try to picture in your mind what the words are describing to you. What do you see?
3. Draw a picture to explain the meaning of the words plate on page 5, bases on page 7, and field on page 8.
4. Based on what you have read in this book, why do you think these players are in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
What do you imagine when you think about the Fourth of July? Is it the flags waving in the wind? Is it the parade? Or the marching bands? Is it the family barbecue and the fireworks?
The Fourth of July is a great holiday in the United States. It is a birthday party for our country. It is on the day America decided to be free from England. This happened more than two hundred years ago, on July 4, 1776.
The first celebration of the Fourth of July took place in Massachusetts in 1781. Now you can see celebrations all over our country. Bands play. Fireworks light up the sky.
The flag is an important symbol of our country. A symbol is an image used to remind you of something. The flag reminds us of the United States. One of its nicknames is the Stars and Stripes.
Another symbol of our country is Uncle Sam. He wears a top hat, a vest, and a long jacket. He has stars on his hat. His trousers are striped. Sometimes people dress up like Uncle Sam in parades.
This man is dressed as Uncle Sam. People also draw Uncle Sam as a cartoon.
The Liberty Bell is a symbol of freedom. It is in Philadelphia at Independence Hall. The Liberty Bell was made in 1752. It cracked when it was rung for the first time! This bell had to be remade two more times. The last bell was rung for the final time in 1846. It cracked too much to fix.
Parades are a big part of the Fourth of July holiday. Marching bands, baton twirlers, baseball teams, and fire trucks may all take part in the parade. Many people cheer at the parade. They also wave flags.
After a parade, many people have a picnic. Some people have a barbecue in a park or on the beach. Fireworks light up the sky in many towns. The fireworks can be the same colors as the flag: red, white, and blue.
Freedom is important for many countries around the world. People in India celebrate their country's freedom on August 15. Mexicans celebrate freedom on September 16.
For people in the United States, the Fourth of July is a very important date. Many people worked very hard for America to be free. The next time you see a Fourth of July parade, remember what it is all about!
1. Uncle Sam is a symbol of the United States. Would it be a fact or an opinion if we said he was a good symbol for the country?
2. Reread the section about the Liberty Bell. In your own words tell what you know about this bell and what happened to it after it was made. Draw a web like the one below to show what you have learned about the Liberty Bell.
3. Why do you think the American flag has the nickname "Stars and Stripes"?
4. Why do people celebrate the Fourth of July?
Birthdays Are Special.
How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you have a party and blow out candles on a cake? Do you get cards and presents from your family and friends?
People celebrate birthdays in different ways all over the world. Some Chinese people celebrate their birthdays with special traditions.
Celebrating a New Baby.
Chinese people celebrate a new baby. Family and friends bring special presents. They may bring the baby's family gifts of food.
They may also bring clothing and toys decorated with tigers. Many people from China believe the tigers protect the baby.
The parents have a Red Egg party when a new baby is one month old. Aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and friends all come to the party.
The parents tell everybody the new baby's name. The parents also give red colored eggs to each guest. Red means happiness. The eggs mean new life.
The baby's mother collects presents from friends and family. Some guests give the baby food. Grandparents may give the baby jewelry made of silver or gold.
Other guests may give the baby money wrapped in red paper. Red paper means a good future. The parents may save the money in a bank for when the baby grows up. At night there is a big dinner for all the guests.
First Birthday.
Another special tradition happens when the baby is one year old. The mother or father holds the baby. The family gives the baby a basket filled with different objects and toys.
There may be a doll, a truck, a spoon, or a pen. Everyone watches to see which object the baby touches first. The family believes that the object the baby picks shows what his or her future job will be. Which object do you think you would have picked?
Birthdays for Children.
Sometimes, birthdays are celebrated with a lunch of special noodles. These noodles are very long. The long, unbroken noodles represent a long and happy life.
Family and friends may be invited to share the lunch for the birthday celebration. They wish the child a long life. Guests may still bring gifts of money wrapped in red paper.
Turning Sixty.
A Chinese person's sixtieth birthday is very important. Everybody shares eggs, noodles, and candied peaches. Peaches are another sign of long life.
The Chinese one-month and sixtieth birthdays are the most important.
What part of these special birthday celebrations would be your favorite?
1. Red eggs mean happiness and new life. Why do you think red paper around money means good fortune?
2. Make a chart like the one below. Fill in what you learned about the one-month and sixtieth birthdays. Use this chart to help summarize what happens on those birthdays.
3. Describe how the basket is used in each of the following: picnic basket, basketball, wastebasket.
4. What presents might you take to a party celebrating a new baby? How would your presents compare with those in the story?
Spring was on its way. Emma would turn eight this April. This year she would be old enough to help Mama and Papa with their work. There was a lot to do on the ranch.
In a few weeks, the cowboys would come to the ranch for the spring roundup. Emma always liked watching them work.
But first, Emma had her own work to do. When it got warm, Papa turned over the soil in the garden. Emma planted seeds to grow pumpkins, corn, and cucumbers.
Emma carried water from the well for drinking and cooking. She helped Mama cook over the indoor fireplace. They baked bread in the brick oven. On special days, they even baked rolls.
Mama promised to teach Emma to sew. Emma wanted to make an apron for herself. Emma worked on her apron while Mama sewed sheets and clothes for the family. Emma was proud when she had finished. She wore her apron every day.
When the day's work was done, Mama and Emma read together. Emma wrote letters as well. She told her grandmother about things happening on the ranch. She drew pictures to put in her letters.
Sometimes, Mama and Emma rode out to see the cowboys working on the range. The range was a big open field where the cattle grazed. The cows would run around and eat the grass. Emma had fun watching the cowboys keep the cattle from running away.
The best part of Emma's day was riding her horse, Gray Emma galloped down to the river and splashed along. Gray took big gulps of water. Sometimes Emma would bring her fishing pole. If she was lucky, she would catch a catfish or two. Then Mama would fry the fish in a skillet for supper.
In the spring Papa hired cowboys to bring his cattle together. Emma sat on Gray and watched the cowboys. They swung their ropes as they rounded up the cattle.
The cowboys would take the herd of cattle to town. On the trail, they would cook over a campfire. They would tell stories and sleep under the stars.
Papa said that one day a railroad would be built right by their ranch. Then they wouldn't need the cowboys anymore. Emma hoped it would take a very long time to build the railroad. The ranch would never be the same without cowboys.
The early settlers of the American West did not have TVs or even radios. They had fun playing fiddles, guitars, banjos, and harmonicas. They even used spoons or washboards to make music.
We still sing some of the songs from Emma's day today. "Skip to My Lou" and "Home on the Range" are two songs Emma probably heard the cowboys sing.
1. What effect would the railroad conning to the ranch have on Papa and the cowboys?
2. Emma helps out with many jobs in this story. Some of her jobs are outdoors and some are indoors. Make a list of the jobs Emma does. Use a chart, like the one below to organize your ideas.
3. A compound word is a word made up of two smaller words. Two compound words in this story are railroad and campfire. Break these compound words into smaller words. Then, use the smaller words to define the compound words.
4. What do you think you would have liked best about living on a ranch in Emma's time? Why?
"Gram, tell me again why we go to the powwow," said Ben.
"The powwow is a place to celebrate with song and dance," said Gram. "We meet with our family and friends. It's a chance for young people to hear our language and the stories of the elders. Get ready. We don't want to be late!"
Dad and Mom were already in their powwow outfits. Dad was dressed for the men's traditional dance. His clothes were made of leather from a deer, called buckskin. His outfit was decorated with fringe and white bones. He wore two feathers on his head. The feathers would twirl when Dad danced.
Mom wore a jingle dress. Her dress had hundreds of small, metal cones on it. They were in a special pattern. The jingles would shake and make a beautiful ringing sound when Mom danced.
They set off for the powwow once the family was ready. The powwow grounds were filled with people.
The dance area was set up as a circle. A second circle was outside the dance area. The drum groups, dancers, and families would sit there.
Ben heard the drums begin the opening song. The dancers, elders, and children got in line. They all marched into the dance area. Ben and Gram danced along with everyone else.
Ben watched the men. "Gram, tell me about the drums," said Ben.
"The drums are the heartbeat of our people," Gram said. "The men join their voices with the drums to make songs. Listen, Ben, they are singing in our language."
Soon it was time for the different dances to begin. Ben and Gram watched from the stands. They saw Dad in the men's traditional dance. Later, they watched as Mom joined the jingle dress dancers.
When Ben saw the little boy dancers, he said, "Gram, I want to do those dances at the powwow next year."
Gram and Ben looked around the booths. They heard the clattering of pots and pans as people cooked food. Some people were selling crafts.
Ben saw a silver bracelet. "Gram, may I borrow some money? I'd like to buy that bracelet for Mom."
"Sure, what a nice idea," said Gram.
Gram, Ben, Mom, and Dad sat down to eat. Ben gave Mom the bracelet.
"Thank you, Ben!" said Mom, as she hugged him.
They finished their meal at the powwow. Ben felt happy about this special family day.
Some Native Americans celebrate a holiday called the Green Corn Festival.
It takes place when the Moon is full and the first crop of corn is ready for harvest. The holiday is a time of thanksgiving for the corn crops. Once the first corn is picked, people dance, sing, and eat. Many of the foods are made from corn, such as corn soup, corn bread, and corn tortillas.
1. Where does this story take place? Who are the main characters?
2. What did you know about powwows before you read this book? What did you learn from this book? What do you still want to know? Use a chart like the one below to help organize your ideas.
3. Find the word clattering in the story and read the sentence. On a separate sheet of paper, list synonyms for clattering.
4. On page 8 Gram says, "The drums are the heartbeat of our people." What do you think she means?
My name is Denny. My dad helps out small farms. This summer we went to the country of Bali. That is an island in the Indian Ocean. Kids don't speak English there. They speak Indonesian. But we all know soccer.
^ My new friend Ketut taught me to say makanan. It means "food." Mom and Dad didn't learn any Indonesian words at first. I helped them out a lot.
The food there was good. We ate fried rice, chicken, and ice cream. And you can eat with your fingers. Everyone in Indonesia does that, except Mom and Dad.
In Bali our house was called a rumah. The front door was a gate in a big wall. We had a beautiful garden to play in.
In a rumah all the rooms stand alone. The kitchen is one building. The bathroom is another building. The living room has no walls. My bedroom was like my own little house. At first it was scary. But I started to like it.
In Bali, you go to a temple, not a church. Families drive motorcycles, not cars. Ketut's family took us to a temple.
There was a puppet show at the temple. It lasted all night long. I fell asleep. It was still the best night of our Bali summer.
Now I am back in California. I am in second grade. I fit in here. I dress like my friends. I eat with a knife and fork. The bathroom is down the hall.
But now I miss being the new kid.
I remember Bali. I was the new kid there. It was somewhere that I was someone special. That makes me feel good.
Farms Around the World.
In this story, you read that Denny's dad helped farmers in Bali. Did you know that there are farming communities all around the world?
A farm is a place that grows plants or raises animals for food. In Indonesia, many farms grow rice crops. In the United States, many farms grow wheat crops. In Kenya, some farms raise goats for their milk.
1. What two settings are in this story?
2. Use a diagram like the one below to compare Denny's life in Bali and in California.
3. Choose a page from this story. On a separate piece of paper, make a list of words on your page that have a short vowel sound.
4. What do you think might be difficult about moving to a new country?
What is a space walk?
When an astronaut goes outside a spaceship to work in space, that is a space walk.
In 1965, astronaut Ed White was the first American to walk in space.
Astronauts float in space. So they practice working underwater before they take a space walk. They do the same work underwater that they will do in space.
There are problems for an astronaut on a space walk.
In space, there is no air to breathe. There is no water to drink. Rocks, ice, and "space junk" can hit you.
Astronaut Kathryn Thornton works on the Hubble Space Telescope in space.
A spacesuit helps with many of these problems. It has air, so the astronaut can breathe. It has water, so the astronaut can drink. The spacesuit protects the astronaut's whole body.
Sometimes it is very hot in space. Other times it can be very cold.
A spacesuit has many tubes. They carry cold water. That keeps the astronaut cool.
Space gloves have heaters. They keep the astronaut's hands warm.
A spacesuit has many layers for protection.
In space, it is not easy to move around.
A special pack helps an astronaut move in space. The pack has rockets that help the astronaut move right, left, up, and down.
Today a spacesuit is like a small spaceship. The astronaut can steer in space.
In space, an astronaut's tools can float away.
These tools have loops. The astronaut can use the loops to tie the tools to the spacesuit.
Astronauts inspect their tools before bringing them into space.
Space walks help astronauts solve problems in space.
Astronauts take space walks to fix broken machines.
Astronauts take space walks to pick up objects. They bring them back to a spaceship. Sometimes they bring them back to Earth.
Astronauts fix a broken satellite and put it back in orbit around Earth.
Astronauts build things in space. Astronauts took many space walks to build the International Space Station.
Space walks in the future will help people everywhere. They will help every man, woman, and child better understand our world.
The International Space Station gives astronauts a place to live and work in space.
1. What is the main idea of this book?
2. The author based this book on the problems of walking in space and the way astronauts solved them. Use the chart below to tell the problems and solutions you read about.
3. Find three nouns in the book that tell something about space walks. Use each in a sentence.
4. How do the pictures on pages 4 and 5 go together?
"Father has time off next week," Mother said. "Let's plan a trip."
"I'd love to camp at the beach," said Jean.
"Let's camp high on a mountain," said Richard.
"At the beach we could build a sand castle," said Jean. "We could float on the water. We could splash in the waves. We could even explore the tide pools."
"In the mountains we could sleep in a forest," said Richard. "We could fish in a stream. We could walk on a trail. We could even see a bear."
"I have an idea," Father said. "At Crescent Lake we can float on the water. We can walk on a trail. We can sleep in a forest."
Richard and Jean said, "Please, let's camp at Crescent Lake!"
"Let's plan ahead," Mother said.
"Make lists of things we'll need. First, write down fresh water to drink. Then write food and tent too."
Jean and Richard couldn't wait.
Everyone helped. Mother found the tent. Father packed the food. Richard rolled up the sleeping bags. Jean folded the map.
Richard packed his own bag. He packed a warm sweater for the cold nights. He packed a swimsuit for the warm days.
Finally, it was time to go. Mother read the map. Father drove the car.
"Turn left here," Mother said. "Turn right there," she said. "Now straight down this road. We are almost there."
"This place is great!" Richard said. "Hear the birds sing!" Mother said. "See the tall trees!" Jean said. "Smell the fresh air," Father said. "Are you glad we came to Crescent Lake?"
Animals in the Tide Pool.
In this story, you read about visiting tide pools at the beach. Tide pools can be full of different kinds of small sea animals. This tide pool has round, green sea anemones and orange and purple starfish.
Different kinds of animals like to live in different kinds of places. Deer, chipmunks, and bears are often found in the mountains. Crabs, mussels, and seagulls are often found at the beach.
Tide pools are full of small, colorful sea animals, such as these starfish and anemones.
1. What is the setting at the beginning of the story? What is the setting at the end? How are they different?
2. What can you do if you are reading some dialogue but you are not sure who is speaking? Fill in the chart below. For each character, write down one thing he or she says in the story.
3. Sort the words in the list that have the blend plfrom the words with the blend str-.
4. On the last page of the story, father asks a question. Reread the question. What do you think the answer should be? Why?
It's early morning. The sun is just coming up. Everything is quiet on the mountain. But things are happening all around. All you have to do is keep your eyes and ears open.
Let's take a walk and see what we can find.
The sun rises over the mountains.
Look up! Can you see the tops of the mountains? Some are sharp. Others are low and rounded.
These mountains are many, many years old.
The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountains in North America.
Some mountains are so tall that their tops are covered in snow. It is very cold at the top. The place where the snow begins is called the snow line. Can you see the snow line on this mountain?
The highest peak in North America is Mount McKinley in Alaska.
Mountains are home to all kinds of plants and animals. Not many things live near the top. It is too cold. But it is warmer on the lower part of the mountain. There are many plants and animals.
Mountain goats are good climbers. They can jump from rock to rock on mountain slopes.
Trees, flowers, and other plants grow on the grassy hills. Insects live here too. Bees buzz all around. Butterflies fly from flower to flower.
Edelweiss is a type of mountain flower. It has hairy leaves. They help it hold water.
The porcupine lives in these mountains all year long. It eats plants, twigs, and tree bark.
The golden eagle lives here too. It builds its nest way up high. But it flies down low to catch its food.
Did you see that? A hare just hopped across our path. Its fur is brown. But it will turn snow white when winter comes.
Hares feed on the leaves and grass that they find in the forests.
A hare's white coat protects it from other animals.
Look at this waterfall! The cold, clear water falls into a running stream below.
The rushing water of a waterfall helps change the shape of a mountain.
It slowly wears away the rock.
All kinds of animals live in and around a mountain stream. Otters catch fish here. Deer and raccoons come for a drink.
Plants live near streams too. Their roots can find all the water they need.
We've had a full day of exploring.
But there is more to see and learn about this special place. So the next time you see a mountain, think about all the interesting plants and animals that live there -- from the bottom to the very top!
1. What is this book about? Name two details that support your idea. Fill in a chart like the one below.
2. Is this book fiction or nonfiction? What clues help you to know?
3. Here are three vocabulary words that are in this book: full, warm, early. Think of words that mean the opposite of these words. Use those opposite words in sentences.
4. Read again the first paragraph on page 9. What happens to a hare's fur when winter comes? How might that help the hare stay safe from its enemies?
This folk tale has been told by the Pawnee Indians for many years.
Once there was a young boy who was just like a bear. He walked like a bear.
He hunted like a bear. He even slept like a bear.
His people thought they knew why he was like a bear.
Before the boy was born, his father was often away in the woods. One day he found a lost bear cub. It made him think of a child.
Though he was a great warrior, the boy's father was careful with the little bear. He talked to the bear. He gave him pieces of his own food. He even tied some of his own charms around the cub's neck.
"Someday," he told the cub, "I will have a child. If he is ever hurt, I hope he will be taken care of too."
Then the boy's father returned home. He told his wife about the cub. She thought about the little bear. She also thought about the baby she would have.
As the boy grew, he acted like a bear. He played with bears. He even said he could turn into a bear. He was known as the Bear Man.
And he became a great warrior, like his father.
One day the Bear Man's people went to war. All the warriors were killed. Only the Bear Man lived. But he was badly hurt.
Two bears found him. One said, "I know him. He has played with us. He has shared his food with us. We must take care of him."
The bears cleaned him. They gave him water to drink. Then they lay down with the Bear Man. They warmed his cold body.
The two bears fed the Bear Man. They made him well. Then they all went together to the Bear Man's home.
The Bear Man's family was very happy to learn he was alive.
The two bears told the Bear Man to be brave. They told him to be strong. The bears hugged him. Then they were gone.
The Bear Man made up a bear dance. To this day, the children still learn this dance.
Today, the home of the Pawnee Nation is in Nebraska and Kansas. The Pawnee people have lived on wide-open lands for over 700 years.
The Pawnee call corn "the mother." They believe it is the most important thing they can grow.
The Pawnee have always hunted and farmed. They grew corn, squash, beans, and pumpkins.
The Pawnee warriors would make their hair stick up like horns. They used buffalo fat and paint on their faces and bodies.
Today, Pawnee Indians do many things. Some are doctors.
Some are lawyers. Many work to help others in the Pawnee Nation.
1. Could this story have happened? Why or why not?
2. What do you think this story is trying to tell us? What is its message?
3. Copy the chart below. Write these words in the chart next to their meanings: very, pieces, together. Then use each word in a sentence.
4. What animal do you think you are most like? Why?
Emergencies don't happen very often. But when they do, kids can help. You can take care of yourself and your family. Sometimes you can help others too.
Be Prepared.
What would you do if you were lost? What if you were in a fire or an accident? This book will tell you how to plan ahead.
Here are some things you can do now to be ready for an emergency:
Learn how to call 9-1-1 for help.
Know your address and phone number.
Make an emergency plan with your family.
Know where there is a first-aid kit in your home.
This boy knows how to call 9-1-1 for emergency help.
Getting Lost.
Have you ever been lost? Know what to do when you are lost. That will help you stay calm. Here are some things to remember if it happens to you.
If You Are Indoors:
Go to the nearest counter or desk. Tell an adult you are lost.
Know your address and phone number.
If You Are Outdoors:
Stay in the same spot.
Listen for people calling your name.
Getting Out of a Fire
If you are in a house that is on fire, get out as fast as you can.
Get down low. Smoke rises, so the air is easier to breathe closer to the floor.
If your clothes are on fire, stop, drop to the ground, and roll to put the flames out.
Break a window if it is the only way out.
Don't stop to take anything with you.
Fire spreads quickly. Get to safety right away!
Once you are out of danger, you can call 9-1-1.
Don't try to rescue a person or pet in a fire. That is the job of the firefighters.
Let the firefighters fight the fire.
Getting Help in an Accident.
What if you see an accident, such as a car crash? The first thing to do is to call 9-1-1.
Tell the operator what you saw. Speak clearly, so you can be heard. Don't hang up until the operator tells you to.
Do not try to move people who are hurt. The rescue team can do that. It is their job to pull people out of danger.
What if you are in the accident?
Here are some tips:
Stay calm and alert.
Get out of danger.
Check yourself for injuries.
Call 9-1-1.
Remember: planning ahead can keep you safe!
Help prevent emergencies. Always fasten your seatbelt.
1. If you were in a house that was on fire, what would you do? Use a chart like the one below to list the steps in order.
2. Imagine you are lost in a store. What do you think would happen once you tell an adult that you are lost?
3. Why is it important to listen when you are lost?
4. Why is it important to stay calm in an emergency?
"You're certainly lucky to be a giraffe, Geraldine!" said Jenny. "Penny, Kenny, and I get too hot in our fuzzy wool!"
"Well, I think you're lucky to be sheep," said Geraldine. "My neck gets too cold!"
"Oh, dear," said Penny. "A cold neck must be the worst thing in the world!"
"I don't know," said Geraldine. "Hot fuzzy wool sounds pretty bad too."
Kenny sat up. "Friends," he said, "don't laugh. But I have an idea!"
First, they cut Jenny's, Penny's, and
Kenny's wool.
"I love your haircut, Kenny!" said Jenny.
"I'm so nice and cool now!" said Penny.
Second, Jenny brushed the wool with a big brush. "I'm glad you had this brush, Kenny," said Jenny.
"It was a gift from my Great Aunt Mildred," said Kenny. "She'll be glad we are using it."
Next, Penny spun the wool into yarn. "I'm glad you had this spinning wheel, Kenny," said Penny.
"It's from Great Aunt Mildred too," said Kenny.
Then Kenny began to knit. For seven days, he was either knitting or sleeping or eating.
"Who taught you how to knit?" asked Jenny.
"My Great Aunt Mildred," said Kenny.
At last, Kenny was done.
"Wow, Kenny," said Penny. "That's the longest scarf I've ever seen. Great Aunt Mildred would be proud."
"Let's find Geraldine!" yelled Jenny.
"What a great scarf!" cried Geraldine. "Now my neck is warm and fuzzy!"
"And we are not too hot!" said Penny.
"Now let's call Great Aunt Mildred!" said Kenny. And so they did.
When it is cold outside, you wear a warm coat and boots. You might also wear a scarf, a hat, and mittens or gloves.
When you grow out of your old winter clothes, what do you do with them? Well, here's an idea: Give them to people in need.
Many parts of our country are cold in winter, but not everyone can afford new coats or boots. Luckily, there are many places that collect clothing for people in need. If you have winter clothing to give, call a nearby thrift store. They will tell you what to do.
Give your old winter clothes to people who need them. Helping others can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside!
1. Is this story real, or is it a fantasy? Why do you think so?
2. What did you know about knitting before you read this story? What did you learn about wool and knitting from the story?
3. Draw this chart on a separate sheet of paper. List all the contractions in this story. Then write the words that make up each contraction.
4. Why do you think the story is called Warm and Fuzzy?
The pond looks sleepy and quiet. Not much happens here. Or does it?
Take a closer look. Plants grow.
Insects hum and buzz. Animals swim, fly, and hop. There is life near the water all year long. The pond is full of life! What's the word for the pond in spring? Busy!
Warm spring rain and melting snow fill the pond. Pond water is fresh, not salty like the ocean.
Trees begin to bud. Fruits and berries begin to grow. Flowers get a little taller every day.
In the spring, frogs and turtles dig out of their muddy winter homes on the bottom of the pond. The animals swim, eat, and lay eggs.
Ducks, geese, and birds build nests for their eggs. Soon the pond will be busy with animals and their young!
Hot summer days warm the water.
A mother duck and ducklings swim in the pond. They look under the water for food. Frogs sit on lily pads. They catch bugs with their long sticky tongues.
In the summer, the turtle eggs hatch. The baby turtles run toward the water.
The ducklings were born a few months ago. Now they learn to fly in circles above the pond.
What's the word for the pond in summer? Lively!
In the fall, the days grow cooler. The leaves on the trees change color. The ducks and geese fly away to warmer places. Turtles rest in the sun. Soon they will go deep under the mud at the bottom of the pond.
What's the word for the pond in fall? Sleepy!
The beavers work to repair their home, called a lodge. They add branches, logs, and mud to the lodge.
The beavers also gather food for the winter. They store food in the lodge and under the water. The beavers will have enough food for the whole winter.
Beavers store tree bark, roots, shoots, and water plants underwater to last the winter.
The winter days are cold. The ducks and geese are gone. The frogs and turtles sleep in the mud at the bottom of the pond.
The top of the pond turns to ice. Some animals live here all year long. They look for grass, seeds, and fruits around the pond.
The cold winter winds blow. Snow drifts across the pond. Tracks show that some animals visit the pond in the winter.
What's the word for the pond in winter? Quiet.
In a few months, it will be the spring again. The ice will melt, and the animals will return. Once again, the pond will be a busy, lively place!
1. What do turtle babies do right after they hatch from their eggs?
2. Look at the drawings on page 12.
In your own words, describe how the pond changes during the year. Begin with Spring.
3. Name an animal and a plant that live above the surface of the pond. Name an animal and a plant that live in or below the surface of the pond.
4. Imagine you are standing at the edge of the pond. What kinds of things could you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste? Make a chart like this one.
Dad came home with a box. "Look what I bought! Meet Pepper," he said. Mom said, "What a great surprise!"
But Pepper ran over to Jun. The puppy jumped up. "No!" Jun cried.
"Don't be a baby," said Soo Mi.
"He is too big," said Jun.
Jun didn't like puppies jumping on him. He was still scared of dogs. Dad said, "It's okay. Soon you'll be bigger, and Pepper won't seem so scary."
"But so will Pepper!" said Jun. He wanted to be bigger than Pepper right now! Jun ran into the basement.
Jun didn't close the door. Pepper ran in after him. The puppy found Jun hiding behind the boxes. "No!" Jun shouted, "Don't jump."
Pepper just licked Jun's face. Jun was surprised. Pepper's tongue was pleasant. "This is probably a sign that you like me."
When Jun went off to school, Mom took Pepper to dog school. Jun learned his ABCs. Pepper learned not to jump up on people.
In school, Jun learned to count to 100. Pepper learned how to go on walks.
Mom and Jun took Pepper for a walk. Jun held on to the leash. He counted all the way to 100 before Pepper pulled him off the sidewalk.
Jun learned to give Pepper his food and keep his water dish filled. The big puppy followed Jun everywhere. Now, Jun didn't mind so much. He even bought treats for Pepper.
Jun and Soo Mi played catch in the backyard. Pepper caught the ball. "Give it back!" Soo Mi yelled as she chased the dog all over the yard.
Pepper ran to Jun. He dropped the ball at Jun's feet. "Good dog!" said Jun.
One day Jun said, "Mom, Pepper keeps sneezing."
Pepper did not look happy. "Shall we take him to the vet?" Mom asked.
In her office, the vet pulled a bug out of Pepper's nose. Pepper wagged his tail.
"Remember how you used to be scared of Pepper?" Dad asked Jun.
Jun laughed. "He isn't a puppy anymore. He is a dog. I'm still a kid. But now I'm bigger. No matter how old we get, we will always be friends."
Pepper wagged his tail.
Dogs grow up faster than people. Puppies become adult dogs in one or two years, but human babies become adults in 21 years. Some people like to think that one "dog year" is the same as seven or more human years.
But small dogs live longer than big dogs. So a small dog's "dog year" is the same as about four human years. Other things can affect how long a dog lives. Some kinds of dogs live longer than others.
Some dog experts say a three-month-old puppy is like a five-year-old child. At six months, the puppy is like a ten-year old.
At one year, the dog is like a teenager. At two, a dog is a full-grown "adult."
1. Why do you think the author wrote Jun and Pepper Grow Up? Was it to share something that happened to the author, to teach the reader about something, or to tell an interesting story?
2. How did Jun feel about the puppy at the beginning of the story? How did Jun's feelings change by the end of the story?
3. Copy this chart on a separate sheet of paper. Write plural nouns from the story that end in -s, -es, and -ies. Write a sentence for each plural noun.
4. If you have a pet, tell how you help take care of it. If you don't have a pet, tell about a pet you would like to have.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States. If you love food, it's a great day!
Way back in 1621, the Pilgrims held a feast to celebrate their first harvest. This kind of celebration still takes place all over the world.
Harvest celebrations are about food. If you picture Thanksgiving, what do you see? Do you see a table full of food? You might see turkey, stuffing, and sweet potatoes, or yams.
Traditional clothes are often worn during celebrations in Africa.
Giving Thanks in Africa.
African villages in Ghana and Nigeria have a whole celebration named after yams. Their Yam Festival is held in August. They give thanks for the first yam crop. Then, everybody gets to eat yams.
Giving Thanks in China.
In China, people hold a harvest festival too. It is called the Moon Festival, or the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is held on the night of the full moon.
To the Chinese, the moon is a symbol of good luck.
In China, people celebrate the Moon Festival.
On that night, Chinese families gather outside to watch the moon. They have picnics and eat round rice cakes called moon cakes. There are also parades, puppet shows, and fireworks!
Giving Thanks in India.
Villages in southern India celebrate the rice harvest with the Pongal Festival. The festival begins on January 13 and lasts for four days.
Villagers wear new clothes and visit family and friends. They eat a special sweet rice dish called pongal.
During the Pongal Festival, villagers use colored rice powder to make beautiful drawings on the ground.
People give thanks for the rain and the sun. They thank their cattle for helping in the rice fields. They decorate the cattle with flowers, bells, and colored rice powder.
Giving Thanks in the United States.
Our Thanksgiving is held in November.
There are parades and football games. All day, wonderful smells come from behind Thanksgiving Day parade kitchen doors. Kids count each minute as they wait until dinner. Then foods like turkey, sweet potatoes, and pies are brought out.
Some families talk about what they are thankful for. Then it's time to eat!
The food is so good that people are sorry when dinner is over. But there is always the promise of leftovers. Some people call leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving!
The national bird of the United States is the bald eagle. But in the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin wanted it to be the turkey instead.
The gobbling sounds wild turkeys make can be heard a mile away. The birds can fly up to 55 miles an hour. That's as fast as a car!
Benjamin Franklin liked the wild turkey better than the eagle.
1. Why do you think round rice cakes are called "moon cakes" at the Chinese Moon Festival?
2. Read page 10 again. What words help you to see Thanksgiving in your mind?
3. Find the words in the book that have the long a sound spelled a, ai, and ay.
List them in a chart like the one below.
4. What is your favorite holiday? Why? How do you celebrate? What do you do to help?
After science class, Dotty sat at her desk and listened to her teacher, Mr. Dean, talk about a school art show. Each student could enter one piece of art.
Dotty started to think. Bill said he'd draw his team playing soccer. Dotty told Maria that she should enter her pretty, clay turtle. But sadly, Dotty had no idea for her own art.
At home, Dotty worried. She couldn't even guess what she would create.
Her mom said, "How about painting an apple tree?"
Her dad asked, "Can you draw using your name?"
"What do you mean?" asked Dotty. "Do you remember when we went to the art show?" asked dad.
Mom added, "Remember the painter you called the dot artist?"
"Seurat. I liked him a lot! I think I said that over and over. Yes, I remember!" laughed Dotty.
"Start drawing dots, Dotty," Dad said.
Dotty liked the idea. She knew she could do it.
Dotty took crayons, markers, and a giant piece of paper, and started dotting away. She made big dots, little dots, and dots of every color. She filled her paper with thousands of dots. It took all week.
Finally, she finished. There was a little dot village, little dot bees and fleas, and little dot people eating dot peas. The people even wore little dot shoes.
"It's pretty," Dotty thought. "I'll call it Dotty's Dots."
At the school art show Dotty drank punch and looked at her friends' art. Jean had painted a real wagon wheel in all different colors. Dan had drawn one of his dreams.
Dotty liked to watch everyone look at her dots.
Then her mom came over. "Dotty's Dots won a blue ribbon," she said.
"We always knew your name would come in handy someday!" Dotty's dad laughed.
In the story, Dotty says she likes the "dot artist" Seurat. Georges Seurat was born in Paris, France, in 1859. He began drawing while he was in school. The style of painting he created used tiny "points" or dots of paint. He thought that using color this way helped show how light changes what we see.
1. What reason do you think the author had for writing this story?
2. This story begins in class. Where does it end and what happens in between? Use a chart like the one below to outline the events of the story.
3. Have you ever won anything? Write two or three sentences about what you won or about why people like winning.
4. What clues are there on page 5 that Dotty's parents are interested in art?
Hello! My name is Mina. I am seven years old.
I live in South Korea. My home is in a large city called Seoul.
I like living in Seoul. Some things here are old and some things are new. In Seoul, there are tall, shiny, new buildings. There are also buildings from long ago.
The summers are very hot. The winters are long and cold. We call June, July, and August the rainy season. Why? The answer is that sometimes it rains almost every day for a month!
I live with my parents, my two brothers, and my baby sister.
My family and I like to play games together. You throw sticks into the air.
Your score depends on which way your sticks land.
My friends and I often walk to school together. We keep one another company on the long walk.
At the morning meeting, the principal shares important news with everyone. Then children bow, thank the principal, and go off to class.
When we get to school, we go to the playground. There we have a morning meeting.
After school, students stay and help clean. We empty trash cans, sweep the floors, and wash the blackboards.
Korean children go to school on Saturday morning too.
I would love to show you the Palace of Shining Happiness. I think it is the most beautiful place anywhere! People visit all the time to learn about the kings and queens of long ago.
The palace was once the home of the royal family.
On weekends, the palace is filled with people. Many come from faraway places.
Many visitors want to take a picture before they go.
Long ago, the Palace of Shining Happiness was made up of 500 buildings!
One of the most important holidays in Korea is New Year's Day.
We visit with friends and family. We make kites together.
Making and flying kites are traditional parts of the Korean New Year's celebration.
Kite flying is my favorite part of the celebration. We all make wishes for the new year as the kites float high into the air.
Traditional Korean kites are shaped like rectangles. Many have colorful drawings.
1. What important news might a school principal share with children at the morning meeting?
2. Describe the New Year's kite flying celebration. What would your kite look like?
3. Use the word rating chart below to rate these words: calm, rainy, neighborhood, important, bow.
4. How is Mina's life the same as yours? How is it different?
There is a river in the woods. This river is our home. Some of us were born here. Others came here to make new homes.
I am a kind of fish called a trout. I was born in this river. I swim in the river to find food. I eat insects that live near the water. This river is my home.
I am a beaver. I came to this river to build my home. I had to pick a good place to build. I fetched sticks and used mud to make my home in the river. My home is called a lodge.
Now I sleep inside the lodge. I swim in the water. I eat plants and bark from trees that grow on the river bank. This river is my home.
I am a turtle. I was born on this river bank. The bank is the ground that borders the river. I hatched from an egg. I find food on the river bank and in the water. I rest on a log in the sun. This river is my home.
I am a robin. I hatched from an egg. I made my nest out of sticks and grass. Now my nest holds three eggs. My babies will hatch here in the springtime. This river will be our home.
Other animals share our river. Some live in the river. Some live near the river. This river is their home, too.
Johannes wanted to be a carpenter. But he did not have any wood. He did not have a hammer or a saw. He only had nails.
Where can I find the things I need? Johannes wondered. Then he remembered. The marketplace would have those things!
In the marketplace, Johannes saw a merchant selling wood.
"I want to be a carpenter," Johannes said to the merchant. "I have nails. But I need some wood."
"I need nails to fix my sign," the merchant said. "If you'll fix my sign, I'll give you some wood." Johannes fixed the sign and took a wagon of wood.
In the next stall, Johannes saw another merchant. She was selling hammers.
"I want to be a carpenter," Johannes told the second merchant. "I have wood and nails. Now I need a hammer."
"My roof is broken," the merchant said. "If you fix my roof, I will give you a hammer."
Johannes agreed to fix the roof. The merchant gave him a hammer and some safety gear. Johannes used the hammer, some of his nails, and some of his wood to fix the hole. The happy merchant told Johannes to keep the hammer and the safety gear.
Johannes continued to walk. He saw a merchant selling saws.
"I want to be a carpenter," he told the third merchant. "I have nails. I have some wood. I have a hammer. I have safety gear. Now I need a saw."
"I need another shelf," the merchant told Johannes. "If you make a shelf for me, I will give you a saw."
The merchant handed Johannes a saw. Johannes cut some of his wood. He used his hammer and some nails to make the shelf.
The merchant was pleased. "Keep the saw!" he told Johannes.
The next day, Johannes went to the marketplace. He carried his nails, his wood, his hammer, his saw, and his safety gear.
"I will build my own stall," he said.
He cut the wood with the saw. He hammered the nails into the wood. When the stall was done, he hung out a sign that said: Carpenter.
"Now I am a carpenter!" he said.
1. What things did Johannes need to be a carpenter?
2. How did Johannes get the things he needed? Tell what he did first, next, and last.
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about one of the things Johannes fixed.
Carpenters use tools to build things. A hammer is a tool. Can you name some other tools?
When you go to the bank, you will see workers called tellers. A teller will take your money and help you start a savings account. The money in your savings account belongs only to you. No one else can take money out of your account -- unless you tell them to!
In some banks, the teller will give you a passbook when you start a savings account. This special book shows how much money you have in your savings account. The money in your account is called the balance.
You can put money into your savings account or take money out. When you put money into your savings account, it is called a deposit. When you take money out, it is called a withdrawal.
Deposits and withdrawals are called transactions. The balance changes each time you do a transaction.
Banks help you keep track of how much money you have in your account. Each month your bank sends you a statement. A statement is a report that shows every transaction you did during the past month.
Some banks mail statements. Some send them by e-mail. Others let you look at your statements online, using a computer.
Did you know that banks may pay you money? This money is called interest. The bank pays you interest when you keep your money in the savings account for a long time.
A bank can be helpful when you want to save money. Your money is safe. You can add money to your savings account. You can take money out of your account. And the bank may pay you money.
So it is smart to save money at a bank!
1. How can a bank be helpful?
2. What does a passbook show?
3. What are some reasons that people put money in a bank? Make a list of reasons on a separate sheet of paper.
In the United States, we have paper money and coins. Dollars are paper money. Pennies are coins. What are the names of other coins in the United States?
Ryan O'Brien wanted to earn some money. He earned it by painting the neighbor's fence.
Ryan O'Brien counted his money.
He had five dollars and fifty-five cents!
Ryan O'Brien sat down on the ground. He counted his money once more. "Five dollars, two quarters, a nickel," he said.
"I think I will go to the store!"
Ryan O'Brien walked to the store.
The store had some books and some toys. Ryan O'Brien picked out a drum.
He played it. It made a loud noise!
Ryan O'Brien looked at the price. "This drum is expensive. It costs lots of money."
Ryan O'Brien put the drum back.
He picked up a book. It was funny.
Ryan O'Brien wanted the book.
He had enough money to buy it. Ryan O'Brien was going to pay.
He saw a plane and wanted to fly it.
Ryan O'Brien thought a long time. Should he buy the book or the plane? Ryan O'Brien looked out the window. He saw it was starting to rain.
Ryan O'Brien put down the plane.
He put the book back on the pile. Ryan O'Brien bought an umbrella.
He walked home with 55 cents -- and a smile!
1. Ryan likes the book and the toy plane. Why can't he buy both things?
2. Why is Ryan smiling at the end of the story?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about one of the toys you see in the store.
In this book, Ryan did a lot of things. He painted. He walked. Painted and walked are verbs, or words that tell about actions. Can you find some other action verbs in this book?
"Lisa," said Mama, "I need you to do some errands."
"Can I go?" asked Jenny.
"What would you do?" Lisa asked Jenny.
"I can help carry bundles," said Jenny. "Yes, you may go," said Mama. "Lisa, here is a list of foods to buy at the market. Girls, help each other."
"This is a long list," said Lisa. "We have a lot of food to buy."
"What will we buy first?" asked Jenny. "We'll go to get curry," said Lisa.
"What is curry?" asked Jenny.
"Curry is a spice," said Lisa. "Mama uses curry when she cooks."
"Good morning, girls," said Mr. Sharma. "How can I help you?"
"We would like some curry," said Lisa. "Curry? I have lots of curry," said Mr. Sharma.
He took a box of curry from the shelf. Lisa took the money out. She paid.
Then the girls said good-bye.
"What is next on the list?" asked Jenny.
"Tomatoes," said Lisa. "We'll go to the outdoor market for tomatoes. Mrs. Rios has a vegetable stand there."
"What is a vegetable stand?" asked Jenny.
"A vegetable stand is a place where someone sells vegetables," Lisa answered.
The girls walked through the market to Mrs. Rios's stand.
"Good morning, girls," said Mrs. Rios.
"How can I help you?"
"We would like some tomatoes," said Lisa.
"Tomatoes? They are right here," said Mrs. Rios. She helped the girls pick out three red tomatoes. She put them in a bag.
Lisa paid Mrs. Rios. Then Lisa took the bag and handed it to Jenny. The girls said good-bye.
"What is next on the list?" asked Jenny.
"Fish," said Lisa. "Mr. Li has a fish stand here in the market. We always buy fish from Mr. Li."
"I love fish," said Jenny.
"I know that," said Lisa. "I'll let you carry the fish, too."
"Lisa, it's good to see you," said Mr. Li. "What can I do for you girls today?"
"We would like some fish," said Lisa.
"Fish? I have lots of fish," said Mr. Li.
Lisa pointed to a big fish. Mr. Li picked it up. He wrapped it in paper and put it in a bag. He handed the bag to Lisa. Lisa handed the bag to Jenny.
Lisa paid Mr. Li for the fresh fish. Then the girls waved good-bye.
"What is next on the list?" asked Jenny. "It's parsley," said Lisa. "But I can't remember what parsley is."
"I know what parsley is," said Jenny. "It's a small, green plant with curly leaves. Mama uses parsley when she cooks."
"Did you see any parsley in the market?" asks Lisa.
"No," said Jenny. "It is one thing on the list we won't be able to buy here."
On their way home, the girls saw their neighbor, Mrs. Jones, in her yard.
"Good morning, girls," said Mrs. Jones. "I see you have been doing errands. You are carrying a lot of packages, Jenny."
"Yes," said Lisa. "We bought a lot. But we couldn't find parsley at the market."
"Parsley?" said Mrs. Jones. "I have some parsley in my garden."
"That small green plant is parsley," said Mrs. Jones. "I'll cut some for you."
Mrs. Jones put the parsley in a bag and handed it to Lisa. Lisa handed it to Jenny.
"Thank you so much!" said Lisa.
"Lisa," said Mrs. Jones. "Jenny is carrying all the bundles. Don't you think you should help?"
"Oh!" said Lisa, "I'm sorry, Jenny. Give me two of those bundles!"
The girls walked home.
"Did you get everything?" asked Mama.
"Yes, we got everything," said Lisa, "even the parsley."
"Did you help carry some of the bundles, Jenny?" asked Mama.
"No," said Jenny. "I carried ALL of the bundles to our street!"
1. Why did the girls go to the market?
2. How did the girls help each other?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a market or place where you like to shop.
We'll is a contraction. It is the short form of we will. A contraction is a word that puts two words together. It leaves out one or more letters. What is the contraction of I will? What is the contraction of did not?
Penguins use their wings as flippers to swim!
Penguins are birds. They lay eggs. They have wings and feathers. They have beaks. They have claws. But penguins are not like most birds.
Penguins cannot fly. They swim! Their wings are flippers. These flippers push them forward through the water. Their feathers make penguins waterproof. When penguins stand on land or ice, water just rolls right off their feathers!
These penguins live in a warm place.
These penguins live in a cold, snowy place.
All penguins live in the southern half of the Earth. Most penguins live in cold, snowy places. Some live in warm places. Penguins live near the ocean. They hunt for fish. Penguins swim fast to catch the fish.
Penguins that live in cold places need to stay warm. Penguins have a thick layer of fat under their skin. This fat helps penguins stay warm.
Penguins also work together to stay warm. They stand close to each other to stay warm.
Penguins in cold places make nests out of stones, snow, and ice. The mother lays one or two eggs. The eggs take one or two months to hatch. The chicks have soft feathers called down.
Penguin parents protect their chicks.
Penguins take care of their chicks. They feed them. They keep them warm. They keep them safe. Some chicks stay with their parents for two months. Some stay with their parents for a year. Then they can leave their parents. They can find food, and they can swim.
Penguins jumping into the water
A penguin sliding across the snow
Penguins have short legs so they waddle when they walk, moving their body from side to side. They lie on their bellies and slide on snow and ice. They jump in and out of the water. They use their flippers to help them move and swim.
Have you ever seen a penguin? Where?
1. Tell something that a penguin can do.
2. Tell how a penguin begins its life as a chick.
3. What does a penguin look like? Describe a penguin on a separate sheet of paper.
The verb waddle tells how penguins walk. What are some other verbs that tell how penguins move on land, on snow or ice, and in water?
Paula could feel the excitement in the air. She and her father were preparing for Mama's birthday celebration. This was the Ortiz family's first spring in their own house. It had always been Mr. and Mrs. Ortiz's dream to move from their tiny apartment to a house.
Paula ran to the backyard to find Papa working in the dirt.
"My job is finished, and yours is just beginning," said Papa, shaking the soil from his gloves. "Are the flowers ready for planting?"
"Yes, the flowers are ready. I used all the money that I saved. This will be Mama's best birthday ever," Paula said.
"Now start planting the flowers. Mama will be home at four o'clock," said Papa.
Papa was sorting tools for Paula to use when Paula came out of the shed. Papa was shocked.
"Paula!" Papa shouted. "What are those things?"
Papa stared at Paula's wagon filled with flowers -- plastic flowers!
"But, Papa, these are just like the flowers Mama had in our apartment," said Paula. "Mama said that one day she would have flowers like these in her own garden."
"Oh, Paula, Paula, Paula," Papa sighed.
Just then Paula realized what she had done. "How could I have been so foolish," she cried.
As Paula sat crying at the back fence, she noticed the beautiful flower garden in Mrs. Bailey's yard. Just then Mrs. Bailey came out her back door. "What's wrong, Paula?" she asked.
Paula then told Mrs. Bailey the story of Mama's birthday and the plastic flowers. "Now I have no money and no real flowers," Paula sobbed.
"Come with me," said Mrs. Bailey.
"I have a plan."
Paula followed Mrs. Bailey to her shed while Mrs. Bailey told Paula of her plan. Paula smiled.
Then they got to work.
At four o'clock Mama drove into the driveway. The birthday garden was ready.
Tears filled Manna's eyes when she saw the beautiful birthday garden. "This is the best gift I could have ever hoped for," Mama cried. "Thank you, Paula!"
"Thank Mrs. Bailey. She gave me some of her flower seeds and helped me plant them. The plastic flowers show which kinds of flowers will grow," said Paula.
1. What were Paula and Papa working together to do for Mama?
2. What do you think Paula meant when she said, "How could I be so foolish?"
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a surprise that you would like to give to someone.
The word plant can be a noun and a verb.
A plant is a living thing such as a tree or a bush. To plant means to put something in the ground to grow. Can you find any other word in this book that can be a noun and a verb?
Jack loved to read a book each night. His books were scattered, all in sight. He read all day.
He read at night.
Sometimes he read with his flashlight.
Jack's books were here.
His books were there.
He could not even find his chair.
He could not see which clothes to wear. "That's enough!" his mother said. "Clean up these books and get to bed!"
"Clean them up?
But how? Right now?
I have no clue. What should I do? Should I arrange them all by size? Or should I just alphabetize?"
"Oh, I don't know.
I'm just not clear.
How do I move them all from here? Should I pile them on the floor? Stack them up behind the door?
I can't think straight anymore!"
"Wait! What is this book I see here? Hmmmmm... How To Make A Library! I can organize by author's name -- 
That sounds like a real cool game! Arrange them like the alphabet.
That sounds easy. That's no sweat!
Or I could organize by title too.
I realize now that's what I will do!"
"All A titles I'll put here. Followed by the B's right there. This is great! Now I see!
Next will come the spot for C. This is really so much fun!" Following these rules of thumb, Jack organized them one by one. He sorted them all from A to Z. He organized them happily.
His mother was surprised and impressed. She never thought he'd pass that test. But Jack came through after all. And shelved his books up on the wall. "Books are great," said Jack with glee. "They helped me make a library!"
1. Jack loves to read all kinds of books. What kind of books do you like to read?
2. How does Jack decide to organize his books?
3. A library is a place that has lots of books on all kinds of topics. Have you ever been to a library? On a separate sheet of paper, write about your trip to a library or about your school library.
Rhyming words end in sounds that are alike.
Find a word from this story that rhymes with each of these words.
Planning Your Vegetable Garden.
It's a great idea to start your own vegetable garden. First you must decide what vegetables you want to plant. Start by making a list of the vegetables you like to eat. Then use that list to decide what vegetables you want to grow.
Tomatoes, carrots, peppers, and cucumbers are among the easiest vegetables to grow.
Getting Started in the Garden.
Plants need a sunny spot to grow well. You can plant vegetables in your yard, pots, or in large containers.
You will need seeds. Or you can plant seedlings.
You will need plant food to feed the plants.
Now you are ready to prepare the soil!
If you plant seeds or seedlings in the backyard soil, dig it with your shovel. The soil that you buy in bags is loose and ready to use.
Next, you can fertilize the soil with plant food. This helps your crops grow.
Your next step is to plant your vegetables.
Planting Your Seeds or Seedlings.
If you use seeds, put them into the soil. Cover the seeds completely with soil.
If you use seedlings, plant the roots in the soil. The roots are at the bottom. Leave the small green stems and leaves above the soil. Push the soil down with your hands or a tool.
Water your seeds or seedlings, and wait for your plants to grow.
Taking Care of Your Garden.
Plants need water and sunlight. They also need your help. You may need to pull up unwanted plants, or weeds, to make room for your new plants to grow healthy and strong.
Look at your plants carefully and often. Be sure there are no insects eating them. If you find insects, you can ask the people at a garden store how to protect your plants.
Harvesting Is Fun!
In a few weeks, you will see your vegetables ready to be picked and eaten. This is harvesting time!
Enjoy picking your garden vegetables. Enjoy eating them!
Dear Mrs. Green Thumb,
I grow lettuce in my backyard. It looks dry, and the weather is getting hotter.
I water the lettuce once a week. What should I do?
Dear Johnny,
Your lettuce needs a lot more water! Water lettuce every day or two, especially in warm weather.
1. What vegetables would you like to grow in a vegetable garden?
2. Tell why you would choose these vegetables.
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a short letter to Mrs. Green Thumb. Ask her a question about gardening.
Persons who plant many vegetables or flowers can get green stains, or marks, on their hands. In English, saying that a person has a "green thumb" means that the person can grow plants very well. Why do you think some plant stems and leaves are called greens?
Some regions of America were covered with trees.
The United States has different regions, or areas. Each region has a different climate and resources. Some of those resources are wood, grass, soil, and clay. In the past, Americans used the resources of their region to build homes.
Many people from Europe came to the eastern part of North America. They found land that was covered with trees. There was plenty of wood.
Early English settlers lived in houses made of wood, like this one.
What do you think many people used to build homes?
The settlers cut down some of the trees. They cleared the land to build wooden houses. As time passed, they learned more about the climate and made some changes to their homes. They built bigger fireplaces to heat their homes in winter. They dug cellars to keep their food cool so it would not spoil in the warm summer.
Pioneers moved west. There were not many trees on the plains. Instead there were miles and miles of grasslands. The pioneers couldn't build wooden homes. They needed a new idea.
What do you think the pioneers used to build their homes?
The pioneers made homes from the grassy soil. They cut blocks of sod out of the earth. They used the sod blocks like bricks. They stacked up the sod blocks to build walls.
These sod houses were called soddies. The thick grass-and-dirt bricks kept out cold air in the winter. They kept out hot air in the summer. But soddies were not permanent homes. When the settlers could afford to buy wood from other places, they built wooden homes.
This pueblo was built long ago.
Another group of people, Native Americans called the Pueblo people, live in the American Southwest. The climate there is hot and dry, and there are few trees. The Pueblo people began building their pueblos, or villages, long ago. There was not much wood, but they had clay in the ground.
What do you think Pueblo people used to build homes long ago?
This is a pueblo today.
The Pueblo people used what they had. They mixed clay with water. They shaped the clay into bricks called adobe bricks.
Then they used the bricks to build tall, steep buildings. Today, there are tall and not-very-tall pueblos. Some look like apartments.
For much of the year, Inuit land is covered with snow.
The Inuit people live in Alaska. Most of the year, the land where many Inuit live is covered with snow. Today, the Inuit live in modern homes like those in other parts of the United States. In the past, they built homes from sod.
But also in the past, the Inuit people did not always spend the whole year in one place. When they traveled, they could not take their homes with them.
Where do you think the Inuit people lived when they traveled?
In summer, the travelers used tents made from animal skins. The tents were not warm enough for the cold winters, though.
Winter travelers used snow to build shelters called igloos. The Inuit people had long knives made from animal bones. They cut big blocks of snow with the knives.
Then they stacked the blocks on top of each other. A small fire in the igloo kept it warm. A hole let the smoke escape.
Today building materials are shipped all over the country.
Builders no longer need to use nearby resources.
They can build any kind of home in any region.
Many homes are still made of wood.
Some homes have lots of glass.
Homes can be made of metal.
Some new homes look like homes from the past. Builders still build log cabins. Some builders use adobe bricks. Some build apartment buildings that look something like pueblos.
What clues show that the log home in this picture is new?
1. What different materials have people used to build homes?
2. Why have these different materials been used by people in different places?
3. Draw the chart on a separate sheet of paper. Write the name of one kind of home in the left column. In the other column, write words that tell about the resources used to build that kind of home.
House and apartment are names of different kinds of homes. What are some other names for homes?
Nana lived in Italy before she moved to New York City this year. She wanted to live with her son and his wife. She missed her granddaughters, Donna and Teresa.
The girls were very happy. They love Nana. Nana loves to cook spaghetti and meatballs. That's their favorite meal. The girls like to help Nana when she cooks.
One day Nana was sad. The girls asked her why she looked unhappy.
"Well," said Nana, "I love being here with you. I love cooking with you. I just miss my herb garden in Italy. It was always blooming at this time of year."
Donna and Teresa wanted to know what an herb garden is.
Nana told them that herbs are plants. People use herbs when they cook. Herbs add more flavor to food.
In Italy, when Nana cooked, she snipped parts of the herbs from the plants in her garden.
The herbs Nana grew were parsley, basil, rosemary, and oregano. She used parsley and basil in her spaghetti sauce.
She added rosemary when she cooked chicken. She used oregano in her soups.
Donna and Teresa were excited! They recognized the names of those kinds of herbs!
"We know those herbs, Nana!" they shouted.
"Mommy buys them in the supermarket. They come in plastic jars. We can get some for you."
"You're very sweet," said Nana. "Those are dried herbs. They don't taste as good as fresh ones. That's why I miss my herb garden so much."
The girls decided to make an herb garden for Nana. They went to the garden store with their parents to buy a window box, a bag of soil, and herb seedlings.
Father put the window box outside the kitchen window. Mommy and the girls filled the box with soil. They planted the seedlings and showered them with water.
Nana was very surprised! Before long, new herbs were sprouting. The herbs grew tall and strong. Whenever Nana cooked, she snipped her fresh herbs.
Nana taught the girls how to cook. She taught them how to take care of plants.
Nana's little herb garden made the whole family happy!
What surprise would you like to make for someone special?
1. In this story, why was Nana sad one day?
2. What did the girls do to make her happy?
3. In this story, Nana made her granddaughters' favorite food, spaghetti and meatballs. What is your favorite food? Write about it on a separate sheet of paper.
The verb ending -ed tells us that the action happened in the past. Nana cooked dinner yesterday. The girls asked about a garden.
Can you find other -ed verbs in this story?
How did the North Star get into the sky? The Paiute Indians imagined this story about the North Star.
Look overhead at the sky at night. The sky is filled with stars. Did you know that stars move? A long, long time ago, the Paiute Indians say, the People of the Sky made trails through the heavens. The stars follow these trails as they move in the sky.
Each night almost every star is in a different place. Only the North Star stays in the same place. This is its story.
A long time ago, a mountain sheep called Na-gah lived on earth. His father's name was Shinoh. Na-gah and Shinoh belonged to the People of the Sky.
Na-gah was the strongest and bravest of all the mountain sheep. He liked to climb the tallest mountains. Shinoh was very proud of his son.
One day, Na-gah traveled very far. He saw a tall, rocky mountain. Na-gah wanted to climb this mountain. He was sure that he could do it. He wanted his father to be proud of him.
Na-gah walked around the mountain many times. He could not find a trail to go to the top. How could he reach the top?
I must find a way up, he thought. My father will be proud of me if I climb this mountain.
At last he found a narrow crack in a rock. Na-gah squeezed through the crack and went inside the mountain. It was very dark. Na-gah could not see anything.
But then he found a path that went up a steep hill. So, thought Na-gah, the path up the mountain is inside the mountain. I can do this. He started up the hill.
Na-gah walked and walked. Soon the path became very rocky.
Na-gah stepped lightly on the rocks, but some of them crashed to the bottom.
Maybe I should turn back, Na-gah thought.
But when he looked down, he saw that the falling rocks had blocked the path. He could not go back down. Na-gah had to keep climbing up, up, up.
Na-gah began to slip on the rocks. His body hurt, and he began to lose courage. He had never been afraid in his life, but now he was afraid.
Na-gah had great courage, but he was getting too tired to go on. Just when he thought he could not go another step, he looked up and saw a crack of light. At last! Na-gah thought. I have reached the top! He found new strength and kept moving up.
Finally, Na-gah squeezed through the rocks and was back on the outside of the mountain. He looked around. He had reached the very top!
"I made it!" Na-gah shouted. "I am at the top! My father will be so proud."
Na-gah looked around again. His joy turned to sadness. He realized that he could not go down the mountain. He would have to live on this mountaintop forever.
Then Na-gah heard his father calling. His father was walking across the sky. "Na-gah! Na-gah!" Shinoh shouted. He looked everywhere but could not see his son.
"Look, Father!" Na-gah shouted. "I am here at the top of the tallest mountain!"
Shinoh looked proudly at his son. He was happy Na-gah had climbed the tallest mountain. But then he realized that there was no way down! Shinoh felt sad. "There is my son," he said. "He can never come down from the mountain. But I will do something special for him. I will turn him into a star to shine forever in the sky."
So Shinoh turned Na-gah into the North Star. All the other stars move across the heavens. But the North Star never moves.
It is always in the same place.
And that is how Na-gah became the North Star -- how the North Star began.
1. Why does Na-gah want to climb the mountain?
2. What does Na-gah understand when he reaches the top of the mountain?
3. Use each word in the box to complete one of the sentences. Write the sentences on a separate paper.
Na-gah likes to mountains.
He is very brave and has great.
Na-gah wants his father to be of him.
Adjectives can be used to compare things.
Add -er to an adjective to compare two things. For example, a mountain is taller than a hill. Add -est to compare three or more things. Of all the mountains, one mountain is tallest Find adjectives in this book that end in -est What do they mean?
Mt. Washington is the tallest mountain in New England.
Linda was excited. Today she would hike Mount Washington. Her Girl Scout leaders, Mrs. Martinez and Mrs. Chang, loved to hike. They knew a lot about hiking and mountain safety.
Mount Washington is in New Hampshire. It is the tallest mountain in New England. It is almost 6,300 feet high.
Sometimes Mount Washington has some of the worst weather in the world. The highest wind speed ever was measured there. The wind blew at 231 miles per hour during a storm in 1934.
The girls camped near the mountain.
They woke up early and ate breakfast. It was a sunny July day.
"Look at this blade of grass," Inez said. "Why is it wet?"
"That water is morning dew,"
Linda said.
The group got ready. They hoped to see some snow. The snow would be in a shady, cool spot.
Mount Washington can get twenty-six feet of snow in a year! So much snow can take a long time to melt.
Mrs. Martinez led the way. There were seven girls and two adults. Mrs. Chang made sure everyone hiked safely.
Everyone had a full backpack. The hikers needed lots of water, snacks, and lunch. They had extra clothes too. Everyone needed a jacket, a raincoat, hat, and mittens. Even in summer, mountain weather can be cold.
"As we climb higher," Mrs. Chang said, "the weather will get colder."
The girls hiked higher and higher. They swatted bugs. They drank bottles of water.
"I'm tired," Inez said.
After a rest and a snack, Linda and Inez sang songs. Inez felt better.
They saw chipmunks. A hawk flew high in the sky.
"Hiking is hard work," Linda said, "but I love it!""
The girls ate lunch beside a ranger station. A ranger talked to them about Mount Washington.
"You are lucky," the ranger said. "The weather is perfect today. Storms can be so bad on this mountain. Bad weather can make hiking dangerous."
"Will we see snow?" Linda asked.
"Yes," the ranger said. "There is plenty of snow left on parts of the mountain."
The group hiked higher up Mount Washington. Linda found the snow first.
"I can't believe there is snow in July," Linda shouted. "My brother won't believe me!"
The girls put on their jackets, gloves, and hats, and they played in the snow. They felt chilly now. The wind blew. They were happy to have warm clothes.
After fun, rest, and another snack, Mrs. Martinez called the girls. "We have to hike back now," she said.
"Can we come again next summer?" Inez asked.
"Please!" Linda said. "Next year I want to hike to the top!"
Stay with your group. Stay on the trail.
Bring plenty of food and water.
Bring the right clothes.
Be careful of bad weather.
Bring a first aid kit.
Wear a whistle. Blow it if you get lost.
Do not keep hiking if you are lost. Stay in one safe place. Wait for help. If someone has a wireless phone, call for help.
1. Have you ever gone on a hike?
2. Why is it important to hike safely?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, draw a picture of a mountain. Write about that mountain. What animals might live there?
A mountain is a landform that is higher than the land around it. A hill is a small mountain. What other kinds of landforms do you know?
It was July 29, 2002, at 6:30 a. m. The place was Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts.
Fifty-six pilot whales were stranded, or stuck, about a half-mile from the shore.
The tides are the regular rise and fall of ocean water. As the tide comes in toward the shore, ocean water covers more of the beach; this is called high tide. Then, for hours, the water level goes down. At low tide, water covers less of the beach.
Pilot whales are dark gray or black. They have rounded heads.
Why Were the Whales Stuck?
Nobody knows why the whales swam toward the shore. Maybe they were following a school of squid. Maybe they got lost in the sea channels. Scientists could not explain why the whales were beached at Chapin Memorial Beach.
As soon as people heard about the stranded whales, they drove to the beach. A crowd of almost 2,000 volunteers and rescuers surrounded the whales.
The volunteers started to work. They put wet beach towels and wet sheets over the whales. They had to make sure the whales did not get sunburned.
The two greatest dangers to beached whales are their own weight and a lack of water. If the whales cannot be returned to the water soon, their own weight will crush their organs.
Out of the water, whales can't keep their body at the right temperature. Whales will die if they get too hot.
Adults and children helped the whales.
Rescuers and volunteers poured water and put wet towels on the whales' skin to keep them cool. Veterinarians and scientists came to examine and help the whales.
When the tide started to rise, the water reached the whales again. By 2:00 p. m., the whales were reviving and beginning to move in the water. The rescuers helped the whales to swim to the ocean.
The crowd started to shout when the whales began to move out to sea. Loud noises can scare whales away. The whales needed to swim away, in order to live. The volunteers started to beat drums and yell. They chased the whales away from the shore with boats as well. In the end, 46 whales were saved that day.
Can you retell the sequence of events?
Scientists believe that whales sometimes swim toward shore because they are looking for food. Whales like to eat fish that live near the coast.
We can expect that more whales will be stranded in the future. We also can hope that many people will come to help them.
1. What part of the rescue story did you like most?
2. Why do you think the people worked so hard to help beached whales?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about how children who go with their parents can help stranded whales.
Beach can be a noun or a verb. Beach, as a noun, means a sandy shore. Beach, as a verb, means to land or run onto the shore. Drive is another word that can be used as a verb and as a noun. Can you give examples with drive as a verb (to drive) and as a noun (a drive)?
A volcanic eruption can be deadly.
It is not safe to be nearby when a volcano erupts. An erupting volcano can kill people and damage property. Volcanoes can do harm, but they can do good things, too. Without volcanoes, we would not have the beautiful state of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Islands began as volcanic eruptions.
You may have seen pictures of volcanoes erupting on land. Did you know that volcanoes also erupt beneath the deep waters of the sea?
When volcanoes erupt on land, they change the landscape. Underwater volcanoes cause changes, too.
Explosions inside a volcano push lava and rocks out the top of the volcano. When the lava touches ocean water, the lava cools and gets hard.
The lava sticks to the sides of the volcano. This makes the volcano's cone grow wider and taller. Every time the volcano erupts, a new layer of lava is added. The volcano grows and grows.
Finally, lava piles up so high that the volcano's tip is above the water. That little tip is the beginning of an island.
As long as the volcano keeps erupting, the island keeps growing.
Hawaii began as a group of volcanoes. At first, Hawaii must have looked like piles of rocks sticking up out of the sea. There were no plants or animals.
Finally, most of the volcanoes stopped erupting. Wind and rain beat against the rocky islands. The wind and rain wore down the rock. After a very long time, the surface of the rock turned into sand and soil.
As soon as the islands had soil, they began to change. Birds stopped to rest on the islands. Some of the birds carried seeds. Other seeds floated across the ocean. The seeds began to grow in the new soil.
When plants began growing, birds and other animals were able to find food and shelter on the islands. More and more birds arrived. This time they stayed. Insects and animals also came to the islands.
Finally people arrived, too. The first people sailed from nearby islands. Later, European sailors also discovered the island paradise. Asian people came.
Hawaii's good soil and mild climate make it a perfect place to raise crops. Its beautiful beaches make it a great place to have fun, too.
Like the birds and animals that had arrived earlier, the people decided to stay.
Today Hawaii is a busy place. It is filled with people, animals, plants, and beautiful sandy beaches. It is hard to believe that the beautiful islands were once just piles of volcanic rock.
But Hawaiians and visitors know it's true. They say, "mahalo," or "thank you," for volcanoes.
1. How did the Hawaiian Islands begin? How are they different now?
2. How did the Hawaiian Islands grow? What happened first, next, and last?
3. Draw a chart on a separate sheet of paper. List a few good things and bad things about volcanoes. Use ideas from the chart to write about volcanoes.
Extend Language
Erupts, erupting, and erupted are different forms of the verb erupt. What are the similar forms of the verbs harm, change, and arrive. Use those words in sentences. For example: The volcano erupted, and the island changed.
Hi! My name is Sasha, and I have a story to tell. One Friday morning in September, our teacher, Mrs. Ferrara, told us that a new student was joining the class.
"Her name is Luz," said Mrs. Ferrara. "She is transferring from the Lakeland School. She is interested in math and music. You might notice that Luz doesn't see in the same way most people do."
Luz walked into our classroom Monday morning. She was using a folding cane.
I think she used it to make sure her feet would not bump into things. Ms. Ferrara gave her a seat in front of the room. Her desk was far from the window. Maybe the glaring light near the window bothered her.
Mr. Timms came in with a small computer that had a special light. He put it on Luz's desk. I found out later that the type on the screen looked large. Then he brought in a piece of equipment that Luz used to make the type in a book look big.
Some of the children wanted to help Luz get in line for lunch. She refused quietly, "Thanks, but I don't need help."
Jose tried to help her walk downstairs to lunch, but again she answered, "Thank you, I don't need help."
I introduced myself at lunch. "Hi, Luz, I am Sasha, and I came from Russia last year." She responded softly, "Hi, Sasha. I was born in California, but my parents are from Mexico."
Luz seemed to be avoiding us. I thought she looked a little sad.
One day, I dared to ask. "Why are you sad, Luz?"
She looked at me and didn't say anything for a moment. Then she said, "I miss my friends from my old school. They knew me already. They knew what I could do. They knew when I needed help and when I didn't."
In October, things began to get better. It was time for chorus to begin practicing. Luz and I both joined. Luz had a great voice!
When clubs were announced, Luz selected Math Club. She was a math whiz! Soon Luz was helping other kids in the class who struggled with math. Luz looked happier now. She talked more.
Luz became very special to me. We talked and shared our secrets during recess. We visited after school. Sometimes on weekends, our families went out together. We became best friends. I could tell Luz anything. She could keep secrets. She sure was a good friend!
1. How can a teacher help students such as Luz learn?
2. Tell about a time when you felt lonely. How can people feel less lonely?
3. Pretend that you have to give a speech to your class. On a separate sheet of paper, write a speech about why children should think about the ways people are alike and not just how people are different.
Hurricanes and earthquakes are very different from each other. But in some ways they are the same. Hurricanes and earthquakes can both cause a lot of damage and hurt people.
Hurricanes are huge ocean storms. Earthquakes are sudden movements of parts of the earth's surface.
Scientists measure every hurricane and earthquake.
Scientists use wind speed to measure hurricanes. They use something called the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
The scale shows the category of a hurricane and the wind speed.
The higher the category number, the stronger the hurricane is. For example, a category 4 hurricane is stronger than a category 3 hurricane. Category 5 is the strongest, most destructive kind of hurricane.
Hurricane Andrew destroyed many buildings.
Hurricane Andrew roared across the Atlantic Ocean in 1992. It was one of the worst storms ever in the United States. At their peak, wind speeds reached about 165 miles per hour. This Category 4 storm caused more than 25 billion dollars in damage. Andrew did the most damage in Louisiana and Florida.
Four hurricanes slammed into Florida in 2004.
Florida was a disaster area after four hurricanes in six weeks!
An earthquake is a shaking or sliding of the ground. Some earthquakes shake harder than others. Scientists use the Richter Scale to measure the strength of an earthquake. The numbers on the scale go from 0.0 to 9.0. The highest numbers are for the strongest earthquakes.
Damage from the earthquake in California in 1994
California has many earthquakes.
An earthquake on January 17, 1994, awoke many people in the morning. This earthquake measured 6.7 on the Richter Scale. It killed 57 people and caused more than 40 billion dollars in damage.
The largest earthquake in the United States happened in Alaska in 1964. It measured 8.6 on the Richter Scale.
The largest recorded earthquake in the world struck the country of Chile in 1960.
It measured 9.5, and it killed more than 6,000 people.
On average, there are more than a million earthquakes each year. Here's some good news: most are so small, no one even feels them!
1. How are hurricanes and earthquakes similar? How are they different?
2. What do you think it feels like to be in a place that is struck by an earthquake?
3. Have you ever been in a big storm? On a separate sheet of paper, write about what happened and how you felt.
Eyes are the part of your body you use to see. The eye of a hurricane is the center of a hurricane, and usually that center is calm. Identify the eye of the hurricane in the photo on page 2. Do you think it looks like an eye?
Do you ever think about why people choose a career? Why does one person choose to be a teacher?
Why does another person choose to be a doctor, or a piano player, or a car mechanic, or a gardener, or a nurse? Many people choose kinds of work they like to do.
Do you like to help other children with their homework? Do you like to help other students with their reading or their math? Maybe one day you will be a teacher.
People have to study to become teachers. What is the job of a teacher? Teachers help students learn math and reading. They also help students learn science, social studies, music, art, and gym. Teachers help you to get an education.
Do you like to read books about traveling into space? Would you like to travel to the Moon? Would you like to visit other planets one day?
Maybe you can choose a career as an astronaut. Astronauts travel into space. Astronauts have to study for many years. They also have to train their bodies to be healthy and strong.
Astronauts have many chores. One chore is to fix the spacecraft when something is wrong. Another chore is to take care of the computers inside a spacecraft, or on the ground. Astronauts can work inside or outside the spacecraft.
Astronauts also carry out science experiments. For example, they can study how plants grow in space. Or they can study how animals behave in space. Astronauts help us to learn about space and planets.
Do you like to grow plants or flowers? Do you like to help take care of a garden? Maybe you can choose a career as a gardener.
Gardeners have to study about trees and plants. Gardeners take care of the soil. They plant flowers and trees. They know when trees are sick and how to cure them. Many gardeners also take care of lawns. Gardeners work all year around. In places where winters are cold and snowy, they do indoor work for part of the year.
Do you like to help your family make cakes and cookies? Would you like to bake bread? Maybe you can choose a career as a baker. Many bakers learn about kinds of flour for breads and cakes. They learn how to work the bakery ovens.
Bakers start work very early in the morning. They make sure bakery customers have fresh bread to eat!
Many people like the careers that they choose.
A car mechanic likes to fix cars.
An artist likes to paint.
A vet likes to take care of animals. A bus driver likes to drive a bus. What do you like to do?
1. What careers would you like when you grow up?
2. Why do you think people are happy in their careers? Tell about some examples.
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a letter to a friend about something you like to do.
A cook prepares food.
An earth scientist studies the earth.
A singer sings songs.
What are some other words for working people?
Helen Wills loved to paint and play tennis.
Helen Wills was born in California in 1905. As a girl, Helen loved two activities: painting and tennis. She did both almost all her life. Helen Wills grew up to be a good painter. She sold her paintings in New York City. But painting isn't what made Helen famous. She grew up to become the most successful women's tennis champion of her time.
Helen played tennis almost every day with her father.
Helen's father was a doctor. His favorite thing to do was to play tennis with Helen, at a tennis club in Berkeley, California.
One day when Helen was 14, a famous tennis player named Hazel Wightman visited the club. She noticed a skinny 14-year-old girl in pigtails who was playing with her father. That girl was Helen Wills. Wightman later said she was surprised by Helen's concentration. Wightman thought that Helen had the makings of a champion.
Hazel Wightman became Helen's coach. They played tennis together four days a week for hours at a time. Wightman worked on many different shots with Helen. She helped Helen develop a reliable backhand shot and a strong serve.
Tennis can be played one player against another player or as doubles, with two players on each side. Helen and Hazel were unbeatable as doubles partners. In 1921, Helen won the California State Women's Championship, at age 16.
Helen was famous for her power of concentration. Other tennis players would groan when they lost a point and celebrate when they won one. Not Helen.
To improve, she practiced against male players who were stronger and could hit the ball harder. Every year experts rank the best tennis players. In 1922, the 17-year-old was ranked the third best female tennis player in the United States.
Helen Wills Moody won the Wimbledon championship eight times.
In 1923, Wills made it to the United States Tennis Championships in Forest Hills, a part of New York City. She played against Molla Mallory. Who was Molla Mallory? She was rated the best player in the world.
At 18, Helen Wills was 13 years younger than Mallory. Experts expected Mallory to easily defeat the young Wills.
The experts were in for a surprise.
Wills had no trouble with Mallory. The match was over so quickly that people were shocked. Most tennis matches last one or two hours. Wills beat Mallory in 33 minutes!
Helen's victory over Mallory was the beginning of her becoming the tennis champion of the world. In the next few years, Helen won almost every match she played. In 1924, she won the gold medal for tennis at the Olympics. From 1927 to 1933, Helen won 180 matches in a row without ever losing. Sports fans considered her the best woman tennis player who had ever played. In 1928, she married Frederick Moody and changed her name to Helen Wills Moody.
Helen did more than win championships. She also changed tennis fashion. In the 1920s, women played in heavy skirts that went down to their ankles. These skirts made it hard to run and move around the tennis court. Helen decided to play in a light skirt that reached her knees, and other players followed her.
In 1938, Helen Wills Moody was 33 years old. After winning that year at Wimbledon, she decided to retire. People everywhere felt that she was the best woman tennis player of her time. In 1969, she was elected to the Tennis Hall of Fame.
1. How did Helen practice to become a better player?
2. Tell some of the details in the story that help prove how good a tennis player Helen became.
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write three facts and two opinions about Helen Wills Moody that you read in this story.
The words friend and friendship are related. Friendship is shared by friends.
What is the word in this story that is related to the word champion?
When Papa pulled into the driveway,
Felix and Inez ran to meet him.
"Papa!" they yelled. "Come quickly! We have something to show you."
Papa followed the children into the backyard. He saw a half-grown squirrel at the bottom of the gully. The squirrel was limping painfully back and forth.
"Mama says not to touch him," Inez said, "but he's all alone and he's hurt. We have to do something, don't we?"
Papa looked at the children.
"Mama is right!" he said. "It's best to leave wild animals alone. That little squirrel might bite you, or he might be sick. You might hurt him more if you pick him up."
Papa thought for a moment. Then he said, "Stay away from the squirrel, but keep him in sight. I think I know someone who can help."
Then he scrambled back to his police car and drove away.
When Papa returned, a woman carrying a small cage was with him.
"This is Mrs. Jackson," Papa said. "She and I have worked together before. She and her son are wildlife rehabilitators.
That means she has studied how to help injured wild animals. It's against the law for most people to keep wild animals, but Mrs. Jackson has permission."
Mrs. Jackson watched the limping squirrel thoughtfully. Then she said,
"Let's see what I can do to help this little creature."
Mrs. Jackson moved slowly toward the squirrel, murmuring soft, comforting words. She picked it up carefully with a small blanket and put it into the cage.
Mrs. Jackson turned to the children. "Would you like to come to my house tomorrow to see how this little guy is doing? Your dad knows where I live."
The next day Felix and Inez rode their bikes to Mrs. Jackson's house. A teenage boy answered the door.
"I'm Dean," he said, "and you must be the ones who found the squirrel. Come with me, and you can see him."
Dean rolled toward a sunny room at the back of the house. Felix and Inez followed.
There were several cages in the room. Most of the cages were empty, and the children saw the squirrel right away. One of its legs was shaved, and it still limped slightly. Otherwise it looked lively and happy.
"Mom took the squirrel to the vet right away. The vet fixed his leg, and he's old enough to live on his own, but we need to watch him for a while. Would you like to help care for him?"
Dean pointed to a schedule on the wall. It had spaces for feeding, cleaning, and shopping.
"When we have a lot of animals here," Dean said, "we are very, very busy. Some animals need to be fed several times a day. We can always use help with feeding and with cleaning the cages."
Felix and Inez promised to come back every afternoon.
"We'd like to keep him as a pet," Inez said. "May we take him home when he gets well?"
"It would not be right to keep him," Mrs. Jackson said. "A squirrel is a wild animal. Squirrels need to be free. They should follow their instincts and live with other squirrels. This squirrel would not be happy living as a pet."
Felix and Inez were disappointed, but they didn't say anything.
For the next week, Felix and Inez went to the Jackson house every day. As they worked, they learned about rehabilitating wild animals. Watching the squirrel, they began to understand what Mrs. Jackson meant about wild animals and instincts.
One day Mrs. Jackson took the squirrel's cage outdoors and put it under a shady tree. The children knew it was almost time to say good-bye.
The next day, Felix, Inez, and the Jacksons met in the backyard. Dean opened the cage door.
At first the squirrel just sat there. Then it slowly walked out and sniffed an acorn on the ground. Next it scampered a little without limping at all. Finally it climbed a tree at the edge of the yard, looked at its human friends one last time, and scurried away.
"The squirrel looks happy," said Felix, "but I'm not. I'll miss him."
"We'll miss you and Dean too," added Inez. "We've enjoyed learning about caring for animals."
"You don't have to miss us," Dean said with a smile. "More animals probably will arrive soon. We'll need more help then. And you two are a big help!"
The children smiled. They knew they could rehabilitate more animals in the future.
1. What do wildlife rehabilitators do?
2. Why should people not touch wild animals or try to keep them as pets?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, create a word web. Write the name of your favorite kind of wild animal in the middle. Write words that tell about the animal in the other circles.
Squirrels and other animals have heads, tails, and other body parts. Look at the picture on page 11. Find a front leg and a hind leg, also called back leg.
Students in Japan go to school just like you do. In Japan, school is very important. Japanese children and their teachers spend 240 days a year in school. They even go to school every other Saturday!
The school year starts in April. It begins with a special ceremony. The school year ends the next March. There is a festival to end the school year, too.
When do you go to school?
Each school decides what the students should wear. Some Japanese students wear uniforms. Others wear everyday clothes.
Many students wear bright yellow hats as they walk to and from school. Yellow hats make it easy for drivers to see the children. The hats prevent accidents.
What do you wear to school?
These children are learning to write Japanese characters.
Japanese students study many different subjects. Their teachers teach them math, reading, science, and social studies. They also learn to use computers.
Japanese children learn to speak English. They also learn how to write Japanese characters.
What do your teachers teach you?
This schedule shows what days are like in many Japanese schools.
Does this schedule look like the schedule in your school? How is it similar? How is it different?
Japanese students have recess and lunch, just like Americans. They have breaks between classes, too.
The students also help clean the school. They learn to work hard and to help out.
Do you do any chores to help out at your school?
In Japanese schools, students do many activities. They go on field trips. They learn about melody and rhythm in music class.
School club meetings are part of the schedule. Everyone belongs to some kind of club. There are clubs for students who want to learn more about computers. There are science clubs and sports clubs.
What kinds of activities or clubs does your school have?
In Japanese schools, teachers keep children busy. The children learn many things, and they work very hard.
Japanese children have time to play together in school, too. They enjoy spending time with their friends, especially during lunch and at recess.
What do you like best about going to school?
1. What would you like best about going to school in Japan?
2. What would you like least?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write a note to someone in your family. Tell how going to school in Japan is similar to going to school in the United States.
Some words have more than one meaning. Character can mean a person in a story. A character in Japanese writing is a written mark. What do we call the written characters in the English language, such as a, b, and c?
All languages change as time passes. The English language has added many new words during hundreds of years. Some words are "borrowed" from other languages.
For example, have you ever seen a chipmunk? When English-speaking settlers came to America, they didn't have a name for this little animal. They learned a Native American name, atchitamon. Over time, this became the word chipmunk in English.
The English-speaking settlers didn't have words for many new things in America. So they began to use some Native American words. Over time, the words changed as they became popular in the English language.
Today, English is the most common language in the United States. But many other languages are spoken here. Sometimes words from those languages become part of the English language. Let's look at some examples.
Some food names come from other languages. Have you ever eaten yams?
The word yam comes from nyami, a West African word that means "to eat."
Do you ever cook a meal outdoors? A meal cooked outside can be called a barbecue. This word probably comes from the Arawak Indians of Haiti.
Long ago, the Arawak people would cook food over a fire, using a frame of sticks called a barbakoa.
Do you have clothes made of denim? Blue jeans are made of denim. The word denim comes from a city in France called Nimes. The French word de can mean "from." So denim means "cloth from Nimes."
Do you put on pajamas before going to bed? The word pajamas came to English from India. The word pajamas comes from Persian, or Iranian, words.
Pajamas, and their name, came to America from Europeans who had lived in India.
In school, you might use crayons.
Crayon is a French word. But in French, crayon means "pencil."
The word paper has gone through many changes. The ancient Egyptians made a kind of paper from the papyrus plant. Ancient Romans, who spoke Latin, named paper papyrus. The French borrowed the word and changed it to papier. The English borrowed this word, changed it to papir, and finally to paper, the word we use today.
Zoo animals come from all over the world. So do their names.
Kangaroos come from Australia. Their name probably comes from the Aborigines. Aborigines are native people of Australia.
The word alligator probably comes from the Spanish word for lizard, el lagarto.
The English language is always adding new words. Do you know any English words that come from other languages?
This index tells where to find information about the words mentioned in this book.
1. Tell what you learned about any 3 words in this book. Which word is your favorite?
2. Explain how a word from one language can become part of another language.
3. Make up a new word that could be used in English. It can come from another language you know. On a sheet of paper, write a definition for the word, and then write a sentence that uses the word.
Many place names in the United States come from Native American words. Minnesota comes from a Dakota word that means "cloudy water." The name Mississippi comes from an Algonquian word for "big river."
Look at a map of the United States. Why does Mississippi fit the Mississippi River and the state of Mississippi?
Moving to a new place can be exciting, but you may feel homesick. It may mean leaving old friends behind. It doesn't mean losing those friends, though. There are many ways to communicate, even over long distances.
Writing and sending letters is an easy, low-cost way to stay in touch. People write letters to other people in this country or in other countries.
The first step, of course, is to write the letter and put it into an envelope. Write your friend's address on the outside of the envelope. Then write your own address in the upper left corner.
Your address is called the "return address." If for some reason your letter cannot be delivered, the post office will use the return address to send the letter back to you.
This book presents an example of a letter sent from New York City to someone in the country of New Zealand.
The next step is to add postage stamps. If you are not sure how many stamps to use, a clerk at the post office will be glad to help. Stick the postage stamp or stamps on the envelope. Then drop the mail into the mail slot or the mail collection box.
Your letter is on its way!
A mail carrier picks up your letter. Then it goes to a sorting center. The letter is put onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt carries it past a machine that reads the address. Then the letter is dropped into a bag with other letters and packages that are going to the same place. A mail truck takes long-distance mail to an airport.
Postal workers load the mailbag onto a plane. While you are sleeping, playing, and going to school, your letter is crossing the ocean. Soon your friend in a faraway place will be opening your letter.
If you're lucky, your friend will sit right down and answer your letter.
Your friend's letter will travel across the ocean too. Once it arrives in the United States, the United States Postal Service begins the job of getting the letter to you.
Postal workers meet the plane and take the mailbag with your letter to another sorting center.
A mail truck takes the letter to the post office near your home. Finally, a mail carrier brings it to your mailbox.
When you open your mailbox, the letter will be there, filled with news from your friend.
You can count on the post office to help you stay connected to your old friends.
1. What happens after you mail a letter?
2. What are some jobs postal workers do?
For most verbs, you can add -ed to form the past tense. Today I walk. Yesterday I walked. For some verbs, we form the past tense differently. The past tense of tell is told. Find out the past tense forms of these verbs: stick, write, and send.
The idea for pizza began in Greece.
Do you like pizza? Many people do. How did pizza get its start?
Long ago people in Greece baked flat bread in round shapes. They added spices, olive oil, and olives on top. These were the first pizzas.
In the 1800s, the idea of making round, flat bread came to Naples, Italy. Here the modern-day pizza was born.
Many families in Naples were poor. People didn't have much food to cook with. They had flour, olive oil, cheese, and spices. The people learned to put these ingredients together. They made round, flat dough. They put olive oil, cheese, and spices on top. Then they baked it. They could feed their hungry families with this food.
These round and flat breads were given the name pizzas. They were sold in the markets. A pizza did not cost much money to make. It tasted good. People felt full when they ate pizza. People who didn't have much money could buy pizza.
In 1889, Queen Margherita and King Umberto decided to visit the cities of their kingdom, Italy. The queen saw many poor people eating pizza. She wanted to try it too. She asked her guards to bring her some pizza.
The queen loved pizza! This upset some people. How could the queen eat poor people's food? The queen didn't care what people thought. She wanted more pizza. She asked the best pizza baker to make a pizza just for her.
The baker's name was Rafaelle Esposito. He wanted to make a very special pizza for the queen. The colors of Italy's flag were red, green, and white. The baker wanted to use these colors on the pizza.
He used white cheese. He used red tomatoes.
He used fresh green basil leaves. He baked the pizza. Then he brought it to the queen. It was the first pizza delivery!
The queen loved the pizza. This special pizza was named Pizza Margherita in the queen's honor.
Soon people all over Italy, both rich and poor, were eating pizza. They began to make different kinds of pizza. People added meat to their pizza. They added vegetables.
People in other countries started to eat pizza. In 1897, Gennaro Lombardi came to America from Naples. In 1905, he opened the first pizzeria on Spring Street in New York City. A pizzeria is a restaurant that sells pizza. He baked his pizza in a brick oven. Lombardi's pizzeria is still on Spring Street. There you can still get delicious pizza.
Today, people eat a lot of pizza. There are many Americans who each eat about twenty-three pounds of pizza during a year!
Pizza can be square or round.
Pizza comes in all shapes and sizes. You can buy a small pizza for one person. You can buy a pizza that will feed eight people. In Havana, Florida, people baked a pizza that was over 100 feet across. But that wasn't the biggest pizza ever made. The biggest pizza was made in South Africa in 1990. It measured 122 feet across!
Pizza comes in many flavors too. In Mexico people make Mexican pizza. Mexican pizza can be topped with cheese, onions, tomatoes, and chili peppers. Would you like to try this spicy pizza?
You don't have to go to Hawaii to try Hawaiian pizza. Many pizzerias serve this delicious pizza. A Hawaiian pizza can be topped with ham, green peppers, and pineapple chunks. Would you like to try this yummy pizza?
In Japan, people eat a lot of fish. It is not surprising that many Japanese people like fish on their pizzas. A seafood pizza can be topped with salmon, shrimp, or squid!
The next time you eat pizza, think about pizza's long delicious history.
1. Why was pizza the food for the poor people of Naples?
2. Why do you think the rich people in Italy began eating pizza?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write three sentences telling what you like about pizza.
Flour is used to make pizza. People put cheese on top of pizzas. What else can you put on pizzas? Look in the story.
Some families live in small towns. Other families live in big cities. Each place can be a great place to live. Each place has good things about it and difficult things. What happens when a family who has always lived in small town moves to a big city? They must get ready for some changes!
In the small town, Josh's family lived in a house. The house was on a quiet street with lots of trees. Josh's house had a yard. This is where Josh and his sister played. Josh's mom had a flower garden.
Josh went to school in the small town. The town had three schools -- an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. All the elementary school children went to the same elementary school. All the middle school students went to the same middle school, and all the high school students went to the same high school.
Most of the time, Josh's family went from place to place by car. Sometimes they walked if something was near their home. They shopped in small stores. Sometimes they went to the park. The town had only one park. The town also had one police station, one fire station, and one public library.
Josh's mom got a new job in the city. The family had to move. Josh didn't want to leave his friends. He wondered what it would be like to live in a city. Josh was about to find out!
Josh's family moved to an apartment in the city. Many families live in the building. Josh's family has to go up several flights of stairs to get to their apartment. They don't have a yard. They go to the park to play. Now his mom grows plants in a window box. People sit and talk on the stoop in front of the building.
Josh and his family were surprised by the noise of the city. It is very different from the quiet neighborhood in the small town. The streets are busy. You can hear the cars honking: Honk! Honk! Honk!
The city has many, many schools for children. Josh's family chose a school for Josh near their apartment. It is a larger school than Josh's school in the small town. Josh's mom says this means that he will have a chance to make more friends!
Josh's family sold one of their cars.
They don't need two cars in the city. Instead, they walk where they need to go. Sometimes they take a city bus or a taxi. It seems odd to Josh to pay for a trip. Before, he always rode for free in his mom's car!
There are many small shops and even big stores in the city. Josh can't believe how many stores there are to choose from. This is very different from the small town where there are fewer stores.
Josh also visits different parks and libraries in the city. The small town had one of each. He goes to the zoo, the theater, and museums too.
Josh's life in the city is different from life in the small town. He sees more people. He goes to more places. He hears more noise! But some things are the same. He is with his family. And it is still his job to learn at school and help at home.
1. What things changed for Josh when he moved to the city?
2. What do you think the author wants readers to learn from this book?
3. Write about where you live. Compare it to the places Josh lived. How is it the same? How is it different?
There are many buildings mentioned in the story. For example, a house is a building.
What other buildings does the author tell about?
This is the Statue of Liberty. It stands on an island in New York Harbor. The statue was given to the United States by the country of France. It was given as a symbol of friendship and of freedom.
The statue was built in 1886. In those days, people were coming to America from many different countries. They came by ship to New York Harbor. The first thing many people saw was the Statue of Liberty.
Other countries have given gifts to America, too. China gave the United States a wonderful gift -- two giant pandas. Pandas are animals that remind people of bears. Pandas are very rare. The giant pandas came to the United States as a symbol of friendship. They lived at the National Zoo.
Here is the story of another gift to the United States, a gift of cherry trees.
In 1885, Eliza Scidmore came back from a trip to Japan. Eliza lived in Washington, D. C. There were many changes taking place in Washington. Buildings, streets, and statues were being built. Trees and flowers were being planted in parks. People also wanted to improve the land that runs along the Potomac River.
Eliza Scidmore had an idea. She had seen beautiful cherry trees in Japan. They were unforgettable. Each year the cherry trees blossomed with pink and white flowers.
Eliza wanted to plant cherry trees along the Potomac River. She thought it would make Washington, D. C., a more beautiful place.
Eliza tried for twenty-five years to have the trees planted, but her plan was not accepted.
Finally, Eliza wrote a letter to President William Taft's wife, Helen Taft. She told Mrs. Taft about her idea. Mrs. Taft had lived in Japan. She remembered the beauty of the cherry trees. She promised to help get the cherry trees planted along the Potomac River.
Cherry trees blooming in Washington, D. C.
People in Japan heard about the plan to plant cherry trees. The city of Tokyo, Japan, wanted to give Washington, D. C., a gift of two thousand cherry trees. The gift would be a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
In 1910, two thousand cherry trees arrived from Japan. Inspectors looked over the trees. They had insects on them. These insects could kill trees in America. Sadly, Americans learned that the cherry trees had to be burned to protect many other trees.
People in Japan looked for healthy cherry trees. In 1912, more than three thousand cherry trees were shipped to America. This time the trees had no insects on them.
The cherry trees were planted along the Potomac River. Some trees were planted in parks. Finally, Eliza's dream had come true.
Now, each spring the cherry trees bloom with their beautiful pink and white blossoms. Visitors from all over the country travel to Washington to see the trees.
In 1952, cherry trees in Japan began to die. Japan needed help.
People in Washington took cuttings from the trees Japan had given to the United States. Cuttings are branches of trees that can be planted. They will grow into trees. The cuttings were sent to Japan. Japan's trees were saved!
Japan and the United States gave each other gifts. The gifts are symbols of friendship and beauty.
1. How did Japan show its friendship to America?
2. Why did Eliza Scidmore and other people want cherry trees planted in Washington, D. C.?
3. Think about the gifts of friendship America has gotten. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a gift that America could give another country.
The suffix -ly changes the word sad to sadly, which means "in a sad way." People sometimes do things sadly. Tell what you think the words gladly and quickly mean.
Look at these little puppies. They tumble and play. Many of them will become family pets. One of them will become a working dog. He will not play puppy games or do foolish things. He will be trained to be a seeing-eye dog. Seeing-eye dogs help blind people. They help blind people to live their daily lives. They guide people. A seeing-eye dog acts like a person's eyes.
Training a seeing-eye dog takes time. The first step is for the puppy to live with a family. Families that train seeing-eye dogs are called "puppy raisers." They will raise the puppy and give him a loving home. As the puppy grows, he will learn what it is like to be part of a family. He will learn what it is like to live in the world around him.
Raising a seeing-eye dog is a family project. Everyone in the family must care for and work with the puppy. They want him to grow to be a healthy, friendly seeing-eye dog.
Puppies can be shy in their new homes. A boy may want to make friends with the puppy. The boy is gentle with the puppy. He talks to him quietly. The boy takes time showing the puppy what he wants the dog to do. When the puppy obeys, it is helpful to praise him.
Taking care of a puppy is hard work. The puppy must be brushed each day. He must be fed three times a day. He must have fresh water.
The family can take the puppy on long walks in the neighborhood. He is trained to obey simple commands. He learns to sit, to stop, and to come. It is important for the puppy to obey the commands if he is to become a good seeing-eye dog.
After the puppy has learned simple commands, he can go everywhere with the family. He wears a harness. The harness will help to guide a blind person better. The puppy wears a jacket. The jacket says that he is training to be a seeing-eye dog.
It tells people that he is not a pet. He is a working dog. With the jacket, the puppy can go places that other dogs cannot go. He can go into restaurants, supermarkets, and shopping centers. He can travel on buses and trains. It is important for the puppy to get to know these places.
Puppies spend one year with the puppy raisers. Then they are ready to finish their training. The family brings the dog to a special school. It is a proud day for the family. They know the dog will soon be helping a blind person.
At the school, the dog will learn more commands such as "find the table" or "go to the elevator." He also will learn to tell when there is danger. He will help the blind person avoid the danger. The dog will learn to tell if a doorway is too narrow to pass through. He will learn to tell when it is safe to cross a street.
After four months at the school, the dog is ready to meet his new owner. This dog's new owner is a blind woman. The trainer tells this person about the dog. She tells the woman about his size, his color, and the kind of training the dog has had.
For the next four weeks, the dog and his owner will work together. They will get to know each other. They will become friends and partners. The dog will help her move around safely. That's what this seeing-eye dog has learned to do.
1. Why do seeing-eye dogs need to learn about stores, restaurants, trains, and buses?
2. Why are seeing-eye dogs called working dogs and not pets?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about three ways that seeing-eye dogs help blind people.
The word friendly is an adjective. It tells what kind of dog the puppy will be. To help a person, a seeing-eye dog must be like a friend.
What other adjectives in the story tell about the dog?
In 1975, the Vietnam War ended. The United States had sent many Americans to Vietnam, a country in Asia, to help fight the war. Many brave soldiers died in that war. Many were missing. These people gave their lives to serve their country.
When the war was over, people wanted to find a way to remember and honor the people who had died. Vietnam War veterans in the United States began to raise money for a memorial.
The project had the support of the U. S. Congress and President Jimmy Carter. On July 1, 1980, he signed a bill. The new law set aside two acres of land on the National Mall for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
A group of veterans decided to hold a contest to decide what kind of memorial to build. They invited people to create designs for the memorial. Throughout the country, artists, architects, and sculptors (artists who make statues) began work on designs for the memorial.
There were 1,421 designs that came in! Some designs were from famous architects and artists. Others were from sculptors. Many students sent in designs too.
The designs were displayed in a huge building. Numbers were put on the designs, rather than names, so that judges couldn't tell who had made each design.
The judges spent four days looking at the hundreds of very good designs. The judges all agreed on one. The best design for the memorial was number 1,026.
Maya was an architecture student at Yale University.
When the winner was announced, people were surprised. The winner was not a famous architect or artist. The winning designer was a 21-year-old architecture student named Maya Lin.
Maya's design was simple. It was a long, black V-shaped wall. It was made of shiny black granite. On the wall, the names of people who had died or were missing in the war would be carved into the granite.
On November 13, 1982, the memorial was open to visitors for the first time.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982. There were 150,000 people at the ceremony. Among them were many Vietnam War veterans.
People listened as the speakers thanked the veterans for their service to the country. A fence guarding the wall was taken down. People moved closer to the wall. They touched the names on the granite panels.
People stood silently at the wall. The more they looked at the wall, the more details they noticed. The shiny black granite reflected their faces. It reflected the grass and trees behind them. It reflected the blue sky and the white clouds.
The design of the wall was simple. Yet it was very powerful and very moving.
Each year, millions of people visit the wall.
People leave letters, photos, and gifts that have special meanings.
Millions of people have visited the * Vietnam Veterans Memorial since it was dedicated. They do more than just look and walk away. They stand in silence. Some leave flowers or flags. Many leave letters, photos, and gifts. These things are expressions of love for those who have died.
The wall is a quiet place. It is a place where people can think and remember. Most of all, it is a memorial honoring those who served their country.
1. Why do you think people were surprised when they found out that Maya Lin won the design contest?
2. How do you think the Vietnam War veterans and other Americans feel about the memorial?
3. Why do you think people get sad when they stand at the Vietnam Memorial wall? On a separate sheet of paper, write about what you think.
The suffix -ful means "full of." For example, the word joyful means "full of joy." What do the words powerful and thoughtful mean?
"That parrot will never talk," said Edwin. "You've been talking to her for a month. You say, 'Hello Lorita, pretty Lorita.' All that bird does is squawk."
"Be quiet, Edwin," said Flor. "She will talk. It takes a lot of time. Lorita is a smart bird. She'll be talking soon. You'll see!"
Flor got up. She put seeds in Lorita's food dish. She put water in her water dish. "Pretty Lorita," said Flor.
Edwin and Flor went to school.
Lorita sat in her cage. She looked out the window. There were green trees.
There were colorful flowers. A bird sang, "Chirp, chirp, chirp." Lorita wanted to see everything. She wanted to get out of her cage.
Lorita looked at the door of her cage.
It wasn't closed all the way! Lorita used her beak. She pushed the door open.
Soon she was out of her cage. She flew to the open window. She looked at the trees, flowers, and sky. Then she disappeared out the window.
Lorita flew to the house next door. She landed on the birdbath. "Meow!" she heard. Lorita looked down. There was a cat. Lorita had never seen a cat before.
The cat's name was Mittens. Mittens said, "Meow! Meow! Meow!"
Lorita wanted to talk to Mittens. She didn't know how, but she would try. "Mew. Mew. Meow!" she said.
"Meow!" answered Mittens. She was surprised. A bird that could talk like a cat!
"What are you doing here?" asked Mittens.
"I'm on a journey," said Lorita. "I want to see everything. Meow, meow."
Lorita flew away.
In the next yard, Lorita saw a shady bush. She flew down to get out of the sun. Rocky, the dog, was sleeping under the bush. Lorita had never seen a dog before. This must be a big cat, she thought.
"Meow, meow!" she said.
Rocky opened his eyes. "Woof," said Rocky. "Woof, woof!"
Lorita wanted to talk to Rocky. "Woo. Woo. Woof!" she said.
Rocky was surprised. This bird could talk like a dog! "What are you doing here?" asked Rocky.
"I'm on a journey," said Lorita. "I want to see everything. Woof, woof."
Lorita flew away.
Lorita heard a beautiful sound. It was a song. Mrs. Taylor was singing as she worked in her garden. Lorita wanted to hear more. She flew down. She landed on Mrs. Taylor's rosebush. Mrs. Taylor didn't notice. She was too busy working and singing.
"It's a lot of fun," she sang, "to work in the sun."
Lorita listened to Mrs. Taylor sing. Lorita wanted to sing too. "La, la, la, la, la," she tried. Then she began to sing, "It's a lot of fun," she sang, "to work in the sun."
Mrs. Taylor looked up. She was surprised. Someone was singing. Where was that singing coming from?
Lorita could meow like a cat. She could woof like a dog. She could sing like Mrs. Taylor. It was time to continue her journey.
Lorita was tired. She wanted to go home, but she didn't know the way. How could she find her way home?
Lorita heard a whistle. She knew that whistle. Mr. Li, the mail carrier, whistles like that when he drops off the mail each day.
If Lorita followed Mr. Li, maybe she could find her way home.
Lorita flew to Mr. Li. She landed on his mail bag. "I know you," said Mr. Li. "We'll be at your house soon."
Mr. Li whistled as he walked. Lorita whistled too.
When Flor and Edwin came home from school, they made a terrible discovery.
Lorita had disappeared. She had opened the door of the cage and had flown away.
"What will we do, Edwin?" cried Flor.
"My little Lorita is gone!"
Just then there was a knock at the door. Mr. Li was at the door. Lorita was with him.
"I have a special delivery for you," said Mr. Li with a smile. Lorita hopped off his bag. She hopped on Flor's arm. Soon she was safely back in her cage.
"I'm glad Lorita came back," said Edwin, "even if she can't talk."
"Be quiet, Edwin," said Flor. "Lorita will talk. You'll see!"
"Woof, woof," said Lorita.
Flor and Edwin were surprised. Lorita could woof like Rocky!
"Meow, meow," said Lorita.
Flor and Edwin were even more surprised. Lorita could meow like Mittens!
"See, Edwin," said Flor. "Lorita can meow and woof."
"I hear it, but I don't believe it," said Edwin.
Lorita began to whistle just like Mr. Li. "Listen," said Flor. "Lorita can whistle just like Mr. Li. She is a smart bird."
"I hear it, but I don't believe it!" said Edwin.
"It's a lot of fun," sang Lorita, "to work in the sun."
"Did you hear that, Edwin?" said Flor. "Lorita can sing just like Mrs. Taylor!"
"I hear it, but I don't believe it!" said Edwin.
"It's true," said Flor. "Lorita can meow and woof. She can sing and whistle."
"I still can't believe it," said Edwin, "I thought that parrot could only squawk!"
Lorita looked at Edwin. "Be quiet, Edwin!" she said loudly.
Flor and Edwin laughed and laughed.
1. What was your favorite moment in the story? Explain why.
2. How did Lorita find her way back home?
3. Add to the story. What will Lorita learn to say next? On a separate sheet of paper, write about something funny that happens next.
We'll is made up of two words put together. The words are we and will. Words put together like this are called contractions. I'm is a contraction. What words make up I'm? What other contractions can you find in the story?
In 1957, Franklin Chang-Diaz was a seven-year-oId boy from the country of Costa Rica. That year, Franklin visited the country of Venezuela. One night he watched the sky. He and people all over the world had heard the news.
A satellite had been sent into space from Earth. Scientists in a faraway country called the Soviet Union had made a small satellite called Sputnik. Many people watched the night sky. They wanted to see little Sputnik fly overhead like a moving star.
Soon the United States sent satellites into space. The race to explore space had begun.
In Costa Rica, Franklin Chang-Diaz thought that some day people would explore space.
He wanted to become a space explorer. He was a young boy at that time, and no one had traveled in space yet. But Franklin thought about the future. His dream of traveling in space began.
As the years went by, the United States and the Soviet Union did launch people into space. Astronauts rode in spacecraft that would burst from launching pads in Florida. The astronauts circled the Earth. Franklin dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
Costa Rica is a country in Central America.
Who was this boy from Central America who would become a United States astronaut?
Franklin Chang-Diaz was born on April 5, 1950, in San Jose, Costa Rica.
He completed his school education at De La Salle High School in San Jose. He worked very hard and got good grades. He graduated from high school in 1967.
Franklin still dreamed of becoming an astronaut. He knew he would have to leave Costa Rica if he wanted to reach his goal. Costa Rica did not have a space program.
Franklin wanted to study in the United States. He worked in a bank for a year to save enough money to buy a plane ticket. When he got to the United States, he lived with relatives in the state of Connecticut.
After high school, Franklin continued his studies at the University of Connecticut.
Franklin did not speak English very well. To improve his English, he decided to repeat his senior year of high school in Connecticut. At first, he did not do well in his classes. But by the end of the year, he graduated near the top of his class.
Franklin applied to the University of Connecticut. He was accepted at the university, and he was given a scholarship too. Letters from his high school teachers helped him get a scholarship.
At the university, Franklin studied mechanical engineering. He knew he would have to work long and hard to become an astronaut. He decided to write to NASA. He wanted to know what kind of skills a person would need to become a NASA astronaut.
Franklin was not happy with the reply he got from NASA. The answer said that only United States citizens could work for NASA.
NASA is a short name for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It is the government agency that directs the space program in the United States.
July 20, 1969, was a big day around the world. Franklin Chang-Diaz and hundreds of other students crowded around a television set. They were watching the Apollo 11 mission. This space mission would land an astronaut on the Moon.
The students held their breath as they watched a small ship called the Eagle touch down on the surface of the Moon.
It was a big moment for Franklin. At that moment he thought,
That's what I came to this country to do.
Franklin studied physics and rockets because he believed that future astronauts would be scientists who could conduct experiments in space. He graduated in 1977.
After he became a United States citizen, Franklin applied to NASA to be an astronaut. There was a lot of competition. Over 4,000 people applied for just nineteen astronaut jobs!
In May, 1980, Franklin was accepted into the astronaut program. He was the first Hispanic astronaut chosen by NASA.
"When I heard the good news," said Franklin, "I called my father in San Jose to tell him."
Astronaut training takes many years. Franklin worked hard. Then, almost thirty years after Franklin had looked up at Sputnik, his dream came true. On January 12, 1986, Franklin went into space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. During the six-day flight, Franklin helped launch a satellite. He also did experiments.
Since 1986, Franklin has taken six more trips into space. In space he has observed Hailey's Comet up close. On the 2002 Endeavour mission, Franklin took three space walks as he helped install a robotic arm on a satellite.
On Earth, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz works in the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory at NASA. He and his team are designing a motor that will allow astronauts to travel further and faster in space.
To the people of Costa Rica, Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz is a national hero. He is the first Costa Rican to go into space. He is also a successful scientist.
Franklin often goes back to Costa Rica. There he visits schools and talks to school children. He tells them to work hard and never give up. That way they will be able to reach their dreams too.
1. Name two things that Franklin Chang-Diaz did to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut.
2. Do you think it would be difficult to become an astronaut? Why or why not?
3. On a separate sheet of paper, write about a wish or dream that you have for your life. Tell about your plans for reaching that dream.