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Content Specific Vocabulary
Asking and Answering Questions
Finding the Main Idea and Details
Comparing Two Similar Texts
Text Features
100
Red kangaroos live in hot, dry places, so they have to find ways to stay cool in such harsh habitats. What is the meaning of the word habitats?
Environments, places a living thing lives, homes
100
Often people are tempted to reach out and touch koalas because they look so cute and cuddly. However, doing that is quite dangerous. Do not try to pet koalas! They are wild animals that have extremely sharp claws. According to the passage, why shouldn't you try to pet koalas?
They have sharp claws.
100
Mark Twain is one of America's most famous writers. His real name was Samuel Clemens. He was born in Missouri in 1835. When he was eighteen, Mark Twain left Missouri and worked as a printer in different cities. He wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. 1)What is the main idea of this passage? 2) What is one detail that supports the main idea?
1) Mark Twain is one of America's most famous writers. 2) Mark Twain's real name was Samuel Clemens. He was born in Missouri. He was born in 1835. He wrote Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.
100
Can you tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly? Both insects have wings. They both have antennae, which are long and skinny feelers on their heads. They both drink nectar from flowers. Is the author listing similarities or differences for the moth and butterfly in this passage?
Similarities (how they are the same)
100
This text feature helps you pay attention to special words. It makes the letters think and dark.
Bold print or bold faced
200
Red kangaroos tend to be nocturnal, so they search for food at night when it is cooler. What is the meaning of the word nocturnal?
Active at night, awake at night and asleep during the day
200
Koalas are members of a group of animals called marsupials. A marsupial is an animal that has a pouch for carrying its young. Many kinds of marsupials, such as koalas and kangaroos, live in Australia. What is a marsupial?
An animal that has a pouch for carrying its young.
200
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was set up in 1846. Originally, it was supposed to run between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. At first, it only had freight trains which carried goods and supplies. Then in 1848, it began running a passenger train. By 1856, the Pennsylvania Railroad went to Chicago, Illinois. After the Civil War, it went to Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Missouri, New York City, and other large cities. 1) What is the main idea of this passage? 2) Give one detail that supports the main idea.
1) The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was set up in 1846. 2) It first rain from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh. It only had freight trains at first. In 1848, it began running a passenger train. By 1856, the railroad went to Chicago, Illinois.
200
There are ways to tell moths and butterflies apart. Moths have thick antennae that look like feathers. Butterflies have long, smooth antennae. Moths have bigger, fuzzier bodies than butterflies. Is the author listing similarities or differences between moths and butterflies?
Differences
200
This text feature is used to help explain what is happening in a photograph, or to tell more about the photograph.
Caption
300
Red kangaroos dig holes to keep their bodies cool in the scorching weather. What is the meaning of the word scorching?
Very hot
300
A mother koala gives birth to one baby a year. The newborn koala is called a joey. A joey is about as big as a large jelly bean! At first, it stays and sleeps in its mother's pouch and drinks her milk. After a few months, it leaves the pouch and climbs on its mother's back. Now the joey is ready to eat on its own. Write a question that was answered in this passage.
How many baby koalas does a mother have in a year? What is a joey? Where do joeys sleep? How do joeys get their food?
300
The bald uakari is one of the hundred species of New World monkeys. It is a little over two and a half feet long, including its tail. Uakaris weigh from about six and a half pounds to seven and a half pounds. They have long, fluffy hair that ranges in color from white to orange red. 1) What is the topic of this passage? 2) What is the main idea of this passage? 3) Give two details that support the main idea.
1) Bald uakaris 2) Bald uakaries are one of the hundred species of New World monkeys. 3) Uakaries are a little over two and a half feet long. They weigh from about six and a half pounds to seven and a half pounds. They have long, fluffy hair.
300
Some animals live with people. These are called domestic animals. Dogs and cats are domestic animals. They eat meat. Animals that eat meat are called carnivores. Horses and cows are domestic animals. They do not have sharp teeth. They do not eat meat. Animals that do not eat meat are called herbivores. 1) Find a similarity in this passage. 2) Find a difference in this passage.
1) The animals mentioned are all domestic animals. 2) Dogs and cats are carnivores. Horses and cows are omnivores.
300
This text feature is used to show how something works, to break something down into parts, or to display information.
Diagram
400
Red kangaroos pant through their mouths when they stop moving. What is the meaning of the word pant?
Breathe fast, take fast breaths
400
The White House is where the president of the United States and first lady live and work. It was built between 1792 and 1800. There are 132 rooms. The president's office in the White House is called the Oval Office. Write TWO questions that were answered in this passage.
What is the White House? Who lives and works in the White House? When was the White House built? How many rooms are in the White House?
400
Uakaris search for food in groups of about ten. It could be that searching for food in groups helps them search larger areas. Uakaris like to eat fruit, leaves, insects, and seeds. 1)What is the topic of this passage? 2) What is the main idea of this passage? 3) Give a detail that supports the main idea.
1) Uakaris 2) Uakaris search for food in groups of about ten. 3) Searching in groups helps them search large areas. Uakaris eat fruit, leaves, insects, and seeds.
400
Florida has hurricanes. Hurricanes bring wind, rain, and floods. California has earthquakes. The ground shakes, objects rattle, and buildings can fall down. 1) What is one similarity in this passage? 2) What is one difference?
1) Hurricanes and volcanoes are natural disasters and cause damage. 2) Hurricanes bring rain and floods. Earthquakes cause shaking.
400
This text feature lets the reader know what a section of text is going to be mostly about.
Heading
500
Red kangaroos sweat as they move. What is the meaning of the word sweat?
Release beads of water from the body, release droplets of water through the body
500
In 1860, a man named William Hepburn Russell came up with the idea of a mail service called the Pony Express. The Pony Express riders rode on horseback across the western part of the United States to deliver mail. People in California were able to get mail from people in Missouri in only ten days. Before that, the quickest way to deliver mail was by stagecoach. The trip by stagecoach took about twenty-five days! Answer all the questions. 1)When was the Pony Express created? 2)Who came up with the Pony Express idea? 3)Why was the Pony Express created?
1) 1860 2) William Hepburn Russell 3) To deliver mail faster
500
Bald uakaris look different from other monkeys. Some people think uakaris look very bizarre. They have bright red faces. Even though they have a lot of hair on their bodies, they have little or no fur on their faces. 1) What is the main idea of the passage? 2) Give two details that support the main idea.
1) Bald uakaris look different from other monkeys. 2) They have bright red faces. They have little or no fur on their faces. Some people think they look very bizarre.
500
Things can slide down steep mountain slopes. A mud slide happens after lots of rain. A slope gets muddy, and the mud starts to slide downhill. So much mud can slide downhill that houses at the bottom can get covered in mud! Slides happen in snowy mountains, too. First, a blizzard drops a lot of snow. The heavy snow starts to slide. When lots of snow slides all together, it is called an avalanche. 1) How are mud slides and avalanches alike? 2) How are mud slides and avalanches different?
1) Both slide down a hill, mountain or slope. 2) Mud slides are caused by mud and rain, and avalanches are caused by snow and blizzards.
500
This text feature gives you the definitions or meanings of content-specific vocabulary words.
Glossary