Text Features
This text feature, found at the back of the Reader, lists important words and their meanings.
What is a glossary?
In “Both frogs and toads are amphibians,” this word shows things are alike.
What is both?
This is the biggest idea a paragraph is mostly about.
What is the main idea?
Name one clue word that shows order.
What are first, next, then, finally, after?
Context clues are found in these around an unfamiliar word.
What are words or sentences?
These are the words under a photo that tell what the photo shows.
What is a caption?
In “Unlike birds, mammals have hair,” this word shows a difference.
What is unlike?
“Birds have feathers. Most birds have wings. All birds have beaks.” What is the topic?
What are Birds? (bird characteristics)
A frog starts as an egg. Does the tadpole stage come before or after the egg?
After the egg
“Snakes molt, or shed their skin.” What words are the clue?
“or shed their skin”
A page has the heading “Fish.” What does the heading tell the reader?
What is the topic of that section? (what it will be about)
Tell one way mammals and birds are alike.
Both are warm-blooded vertebrates (both have backbones)
“Mammals give birth to live young. They feed milk to their babies. Most have hair.” What is the main idea?
Mammals share important characteristics
Put in order: tadpole grows legs; frog lays eggs; eggs hatch into tadpoles.
Lays eggs → hatch into tadpoles → grows legs
“Owls are nocturnal, or active at night.” What does nocturnal mean?
Active at night
You want to see where tree frogs live around the world. Which text feature helps most, and why?
What is a map? (it shows where places are)
Reptiles and amphibians are both cold-blooded. Tell one way they are different.
Reptiles have dry, scaly skin; amphibians live in water and on land / change from tadpoles
Which detail does NOT support “Reptiles have scaly skin”? (a) scales keep water in (b) snakes molt (c) tadpoles have gills
What is "(c) tadpoles have gills"?
Why must a life cycle stay in the same order?
Each stage depends on the one before it
“Tadpoles have gills, so they can breathe underwater.” What are gills for?
Breathing underwater
Explain how a diagram of a fish and a caption can work together to teach more than the paragraph alone.
The diagram labels parts (gills, fins) and the caption says what they do.
Pick two animal groups. Give one likeness and one difference, and name a tool to show the comparison.
Example: fish and amphibians; both cold-blooded, amphibians live on land too; Venn diagram
Write one sentence stating the main idea of Unit 2 and give two details.
Scientists classify animals by characteristics; details: backbone or not, warm/cold-blooded, animal groups
Tell a frog’s life cycle in order using three clue words.
First eggs; next tadpoles; then legs; finally adult frog (any three clue words)
Write a sentence about an animal using “habitat” with a clue for its meaning.
Example: A frog’s habitat, or the place where it lives, is near water.