holai hor ead ale clarabella wild the first part of the story, what tells you clarabella likes...

Written by Kate McAllan Box 3 • 440L ■ Level 20

1

Every day, Clarabella Wild did something amazing. No-one in her family ever noticed. One ordinary day, all that changed.

It started that morning. Clarabella discovered she could touch her nose with her tongue. ‘Look, I’m a chameleon. I’m catching flies,’ she said.

Her brother, Ryan, yawned. He went to the bathroom.

At breakfast, she told Dad about crocodiles. He smiled and ate his toast.

In the afternoon, she drew a tree. It had fourteen possums playing in its branches.

‘They look like squirrels,’ said her sister, Alex.

Then, Clarabella went to gymnastics. She jumped like a frog. She shouted, ‘Look, Dad!’

Dad said, ‘Well done.’ Then, he continued talking to the other parents.

Later, Ryan did his homework. Alex watched television. Dad cooked dinner.

And Clarabella? She was in a bubble bath. ‘Raaak,’ she said. She was pretending to be a

cockatoo. She was finishing her sudsy-shampoo, curly-crest hairdo.

Then, from Ryan’s room, came an ear-splitting scream.

Dad dropped the ladle in the sink. Alex leapt up from the rug.

Ryan was still screaming.

Goodness, Clarabella thought. She didn’t want to ruin her crest. She climbed carefully out of the bathtub.

Alex ran down the hall. ‘Are you hurt?’ she called.

Dad followed. ‘Ryan, what is it?’ he shouted.

‘A THING!’ Ryan shrieked.

Clarabella patted herself dry.

Alex gasped. ‘It’s a monster!’

‘Stay still!’ Dad warned Ryan.

Clarabella put on her pyjamas. She walked quick-step down the hall.

Clarabella WildWonder Child

sulphur-crested

cockatoo

brushtail

possum

tree frog

eastern grey

squirrel

saltwater

crocodile

chameleon

Scholastic Short Reads Sample

2

‘What’ll I do?’ asked Ryan in a shiver-hushed voice.

‘Shut your eyes,’ said Alex. ‘Where’s a shoe?’ she asked.

‘I’ll get the vacuum cleaner,’ said Dad. ‘We’ll suck that thing to nowhere.’

‘Noooo! Stop!’ Clarabella cried. She reached Ryan’s room. There was a mole cricket crouched by Ryan’s bag. Its legs were bunched tight. Its bulbous head glistened softly.

‘Squish it,’ urged Alex.

‘Don’t make a mess,’ added Dad.

‘Is it gone?’ asked Ryan. His eyes were scrunched up smaller than sultanas.

Clarabella knelt on the floor. ‘It’s just a cricket,’ she said. ‘It’s got big wings. That means it’s a girl.’ She gave the cricket a little poke. It hugged its legs tighter to its body.

‘There’s nothing to be afraid of,’ murmured Clarabella.

‘Don’t pick it up,’ said Ryan. He opened one eye and squeezed it shut again.

Clarabella was shocked. ‘I never would,’ she said. ‘If I hurt her legs, she wouldn’t be

able to dig.’

‘Nasty thing,’ said Alex. She shuddered.

Clarabella nudged the cricket onto her hand. She cupped her other hand over the top. The others shrank away as she walked past.

In the hall, Clarabella led the procession.

Dad ducked past. ‘I’ll get the door,’ he said.

The others huddled in the doorway. They watched Clarabella tread step by steady step along the path.

Then, Mum walked in through the gate. ‘My bella Clara, what are you doing?’

Clarabella crouched and opened her hands. The cricket tumbled onto the grass. It rolled onto its front. It unfurled its legs.

‘She rescued Ryan,’ Alex called to Mum.

‘She’s brilliant!’ yelled Ryan.

‘She’s so brave,’ said Dad. He gazed at his daughter.

Mum knelt down beside Clarabella. They watched the cricket wriggle under a rock. Then, Clarabella stood up. ‘I rescued a cricket,’ she said.

The others ran down the path.

‘Clarabella Wild, our wonder child!’ Dad said. Then, he lifted her up to the sky.

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Short Reads Fiction18

Origin of Text: Australia

Summary: When Clarabella rescues her brother from a scary-looking insect, her family finally realises how amazing she is.

Themes: respecting animals, appreciation, being yourself

Text Features: capital letters, labels for images

Literature Focus:

• simile: like a frog

• alliteration: Clarabella Wild Wonder Child

Spelling:

• ‘uu’ digraph: vacuum

• ‘ch’ digraph: chameleon

• ‘tch’ trigraph: catch, watched

Vocabulary/Grammar/Punctuation:

• new English words: bella, sultana (Italian), cockatoo (Malay), possum (Algonquian), pyjama (Urdu)

• ‘-ion’ suffix: procession, television

• hyphenated adjectives and adverbs: curly-crest, ear-splitting, shiver-hushed, sudsy-shampoo, quick-step

Realistic FictionPurple, Level 20, 450L

Clarabella Wild Wonder Child• Focus Question: What happens when people discover you can do

something they can’t?

PREPARE & READ

• Read the title. Ask students what they notice about the words in the title. (alliteration, rhyme)

• Ask students how many kinds of animal they can see in the pictures.• Ask students to read the card.

READ CLOSELYCharactersIn the first part of the story, what tells you Clarabella likes animals? How do you know her family takes this fact about her for granted? 2 – 5

. . . I can tell Clarabella likes animals because she pretends to be a chameleon, a frog and a cockatoo. She also tells her dad about crocodiles and draws possums. I know her family takes her love of animals for granted because they don’t pay much attention to what she says or does.

Grammar: Describing WordsWhen two describing words (adjectives, adverbs) form one idea, they have a hyphen. Find five of these words in the story. What do they describe? (sudsy-shampoo, curly-crest—hairdo; ear-splitting—scream; quick-step—way someone walks; shiver-hushed—voice) Which one is an adverb? (quick-step) 5 6 8 9

Key Ideas and DetailsWhat problem does Ryan have? (sees creature doesn’t recognise, terrified) What do Alex and Dad think about it? (don’t know what it is, call it a monster) What do they want to do? (kill it) What does Clarabella do when Ryan screams? (goes to help, rescues the cricket carefully) 6 – 10

Make InferencesDoes Clarabella have a caring family? How do you know? 3 4 6 15 – 17

. . . Yes. Dad listens to her, smiles, says ‘well done’ and calls her a ‘wonder child’. Her sister Alex talks with her. They all run to help Ryan when he screams. Mum calls Clarabella by a pet name: ‘my bella Clara’. All the family congratulate Clarabella.

Make PredictionsIf Dad hadn’t been scared of the cricket, do you think he would have still called Clarabella a ‘wonder child’? (probably not; Clarabella wouldn’t have rescued the cricket because Dad would have done it himself) Do you think Clarabella would still be scared of some things? Why/Why not? (yes, most people are scared of something) 16 – 17

?

SRF_3_ClarabellaWildWonderChild_ed.indd 18 09/01/18 11:27 AM


BOX 3 Teacher’s Guide 19

DISCUSS

These questions can be used for paired discussion. Ask students to use the text to support their reasoning. Then, ask them to share their conclusions with the group.

• Is it important to conquer your fears? Why/Why not? (yes: can be good to try some things we are scared of and find we can enjoy them/no: sometimes it is better to be scared, and being scared can give us energy to run away from bad situations)

• Why are people sometimes scared of animals that are not poisonous (like small pythons, bats, cockroaches)? (don’t like how they look or move; don’t understand them)

• Clarabella loves animals. How does this make her special? (finds out about them; knows lots; has imagination) Everybody has something they are passionate about. How does this make everyone special in their own way? What do you love doing, learning or making?

WRITE

Have students choose either one of the following options for writing, or do both.

• Imagine Ryan or Alex is writing about what Clarabella did. Draw a picture to illustrate your story. (You’ll never guess what my sister did... ) (Information/Explanation)

• How do you think Clarabella might feel at the end of the story? Why? Complete the following sentence. I think Clarabella might feel _____ because _____. (Opinion)

Extension Activity: Investigate one of the animals mentioned in the story. Is it a bird, mammal, reptile or insect? Where does it live? What does it eat? What does it do?

2

‘What’ll I do?’ asked Ryan in a shiver-hushed voice.

‘Shut your eyes,’ said Alex. ‘Where’s a shoe?’ she asked.

‘I’ll get the vacuum cleaner,’ said Dad. ‘We’ll suck that thing to nowhere.’

‘Noooo! Stop!’ Clarabella cried. She reached Ryan’s room. There was a mole cricket crouched by Ryan’s bag. Its legs were bunched tight. Its bulbous head glistened softly.

‘Squish it,’ urged Alex.

‘Don’t make a mess,’ added Dad.

‘Is it gone?’ asked Ryan. His eyes were scrunched up smaller than sultanas.

Clarabella knelt on the floor. ‘It’s just a cricket,’ she said. ‘It’s got big wings. That means it’s a girl.’ She gave the cricket a little poke. It hugged its legs tighter to its body.

‘There’s nothing to be afraid of,’ murmured Clarabella.

‘Don’t pick it up,’ said Ryan. He opened one eye and squeezed it shut again.

Clarabella was shocked. ‘I never would,’ she said. ‘If I hurt her legs, she wouldn’t be

able to dig.’

‘Nasty thing,’ said Alex. She shuddered.

Clarabella nudged the cricket onto her hand. She cupped her other hand over the top. The others shrank away as she walked past.

In the hall, Clarabella led the procession.

Dad ducked past. ‘I’ll get the door,’ he said.

The others huddled in the doorway. They watched Clarabella tread step by steady step along the path.

Then, Mum walked in through the gate. ‘My bella Clara, what are you doing?’

Clarabella crouched and opened her hands. The cricket tumbled onto the grass. It rolled onto its front. It unfurled its legs.

‘She rescued Ryan,’ Alex called to Mum.

‘She’s brilliant!’ yelled Ryan.

‘She’s so brave,’ said Dad. He gazed at his daughter.

Mum knelt down beside Clarabella. They watched the cricket wriggle under a rock. Then, Clarabella stood up. ‘I rescued a cricket,’ she said.

The others ran down the path.

‘Clarabella Wild, our wonder child!’ Dad said. Then, he lifted her up to the sky.

Text

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SRF_Box_3_ClarabellaWildWonderChild_Option2.indd 8 08/01/18 10:48 AM

Written by Kate McAllan Box 3 • 450L ■ Level 20

1

Every day, Clarabella Wild did something amazing. No-one in her family ever noticed. One ordinary day, all that changed.

It started that morning. Clarabella discovered she could touch her nose with her tongue. ‘Look, I’m a chameleon. I’m catching flies,’ she said.

Her brother, Ryan, yawned. He went to the bathroom.

At breakfast, she told Dad about crocodiles. He smiled and ate his toast.

In the afternoon, she drew a tree. It had fourteen possums playing in its branches.

‘They look like squirrels,’ said her sister, Alex.

Then, Clarabella went to gymnastics. She jumped like a frog. She shouted, ‘Look, Dad!’

Dad said, ‘Well done.’ Then, he continued talking to the other parents.

Later, Ryan did his homework. Alex watched television. Dad cooked dinner.

And Clarabella? She was in a bubble bath. ‘Raaak,’ she said. She was pretending to be a

cockatoo. She was finishing her sudsy-shampoo, curly-crest hairdo.

Then, from Ryan’s room, came an ear-splitting scream.

Dad dropped the ladle in the sink. Alex leapt up from the rug.

Ryan was still screaming.

Goodness, Clarabella thought. She didn’t want to ruin her crest. She climbed carefully out of the bathtub.

Alex ran down the hall. ‘Are you hurt?’ she called.

Dad followed. ‘Ryan, what is it?’ he shouted.

‘A THING!’ Ryan shrieked.

Clarabella patted herself dry.

Alex gasped. ‘It’s a monster!’

‘Stay still!’ Dad warned Ryan.

Clarabella put on her pyjamas. She walked quick-step down the hall.

Clarabella WildWonder Child

sulphur-crested

cockatoo

brushtail

possum

tree frog

eastern grey

squirrel

saltwater

crocodile

chameleon

SRF_Box_3_ClarabellaWildWonderChild_Option2.indd 7 08/01/18 10:48 AM

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SRF_3_ClarabellaWildWonderChild_ed.indd 19 09/01/18 11:27 AM


Adapted from a story by Hugh Lofting Box 3 • 540L ■ Level 23

1

The doctor stood on the deck of the ship. He watched the Canary Islands fade away in the blue dusk of the evening.

Dab-Dab came tumbling up the stairs. ‘Doctor!’ she cried. ‘The beds downstairs are made of silk, and there are all sorts of good things to eat and drink. Oh, and we found a room with a locked door. Jip says it must be the pirates’ treasure room. But we can’t get in.’

The doctor went downstairs, where the animals were gathered around a little door. The doctor couldn’t open it either. They went hunting for the key.

They found wonderful things that the pirates had stolen from other ships. But nowhere in the whole ship could they find a key to fit that lock. They went back to stand by the door. What could they do?

Too-Too the

Listener

Doctor Dolittle was a very special doctor. He could understand animals and talk to them. In this part of the story, Doctor Dolittle has scared a band of pirates into becoming farmers. He and his animal crew set off in the pirates’ ship. With him are Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog and Too-Too the owl. They are going home.


2

The owl, Too-Too, suddenly said, ‘Sh! Listen. There’s someone in there.’

They all kept still a moment. Then, the doctor said, ‘I don’t hear anything.’

‘Sh!’ said the owl. ‘There it is again. I hear someone putting his hand in his pocket.’

‘But that makes hardly any sound at all,’ said the doctor. ‘You couldn’t hear that out here.’

‘Oh, but I can,’ said Too-Too. ‘Almost everything makes a noise, if your ears are sharp enough to catch it. Owls are very good listeners. I can tell the colour of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark.’

‘Well, well!’ said the doctor. ‘That’s very interesting. Listen again, Too-Too. What is he doing now?’

After a moment, Too-Too spoke. ‘He’s rubbing his face with his left hand. It’s a small hand and a small face. It might be a woman. No. Now he pushes his hair back off his forehead. It’s a man.’

Too-Too listened again, long and hard.

He finally said, ‘The man is unhappy. He weeps. He’s trying to be quiet, so we won’t hear him. But I heard a tear falling on his sleeve.’

‘How do you know that?’ asked Dab-Dab. ‘Couldn’t it have been a drop of water falling from the ceiling?’

‘Pshaw!’ sniffed Too-Too. ‘That would make ten times as much noise!’

‘Well,’ said the doctor. ‘Let’s find out why the poor fellow is unhappy. Find me an axe. I’ll chop down the door.’

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Short Reads Fiction86

Origin of Text: UK

Summary: As Dr Dolittle and his friends set off on a pirate ship, a locked room is discovered. Too-Too the owl, who has sharp ears, hears a man crying inside.

Themes: mystery, helping others, animal abilities

Text Features: introduction, paragraphs, dialogue, illustrations

Literature Focus:

• hyperbole: I can tell the colour of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark

• sensory language: I heard a tear falling on his sleeve

Spelling:

• onomatopoeia: pshaw

• ‘-ear’ letter group: ear, hear, tear, heard

• homonyms: hear, here

Vocabulary/Grammar/Punctuation:

• nouns as names: Doctor

• ‘-er’ nouns of agency: listener, farmer

• verb position in command or instruction sentence: Let’s find, Find me, Listen again

• possessive apostrophe for plural nouns: pirates’

FantasySilver, Level 23, 540L

Too-Too the Listener Focus Question: What special abilities do some animals have?

PREPARE & READ

• Read the title and introduction. Explain this is an excerpt (part of a story). • Ask students to look at the illustrations. Ask where the story might be set. (ship)

• Ask students to read the card.

READ CLOSELY

Key Ideas and DetailsWhat problem do the animals and Dr Dolittle have? (can’t get into room) How do they try to solve it? (look all over ship for key) 4 – 6

What do the first and last pictures tell you that isn’t in the text? 1 14

. . . They give details about what the doctor and his friends look like. For example, I can see Too-Too is small. They also show me the story is set long ago, as the doctor wears old-fashioned clothes and the ship has sails. The last picture has palm trees, which means they are somewhere warm.

CharactersWhat can Too-Too do that the others can’t? (hear every sound) Does Dr Dolittle believe him? (yes) What does that show about the doctor? (trusts animals) 7 – 12

Author’s Word ChoicesSometimes authors say something is bigger, smaller, better or worse than it really could be. This is called exaggeration or hyperbole. What do you think Too-Too really could or couldn’t hear? Why do you think the author has exaggerated? 7 – 13

. . . Owls have excellent hearing, so I think Too-Too can hear things the others can’t. However, even he couldn’t tell what colour a kitten is when he hears it wink. I think the author exaggerated and mixed up what ears and eyes tell us, to make the story funny.

Make ConnectionsWhat does Too-Too hear the person in the room doing? (weeping) Why do you think the doctor decides to chop down the door? (reach person in room, find out why unhappy) 12 13

PunctuationAn apostrophe is sometimes used to show someone owns something. Find an apostrophe on page 1. Where is it placed and why? (after ‘s’ in ‘pirates’, as there is more than one pirate—if only one, would be before ‘s’) 2

Make InferencesHow do you know the pirates have changed the way they live? (introduction says they became farmers; lots of fine things on ship they had stolen, but they left it all behind, as they don’t want it any more) 2 – 4

?

SRFTG_3_TooTooTheListener_ed.indd 86 09/01/18 2:53 PM


BOX 3 Teacher’s Guide 87

DISCUSS

These questions can be used for paired discussion. Ask students to use the text to support their reasoning. Then, ask them to share their conclusions with the group.

• Apart from being able to speak to animals, how would you describe the doctor? (kind; patient; trusting; loves adventure)

• What does the doctor do when Dab-Dab and Too-Too disagree about whether the person is weeping or not? (doesn’t get involved; just talks about what to do next) Why do you think he does this? (maybe used to them disagreeing; needs to reach unhappy person)

• Do you think Too-Too will be right about who is in the room? Why/Why not? (at least partly right: a person, weeps so is unhappy) What do you think will happen next? (meet person; learn about him/her; find out why unhappy; help person)

WRITE


• Draw the person in the room after Dr Dolittle breaks in. Write a short dialogue between them. (‘Who are you?’ said the _____, peeping out from behind a box.) (Information/Explanation)

• How do you think the unhappy person will feel when he/she realises Dr Dolittle talks to animals? Why? Complete the following sentence. I think the person will feel _____ because _____. (Opinion)

Author Note: Hugh Lofting (1886–1947) was born in England and settled in New York. During World War I, he was a soldier. He invented Dr Dolittle and wrote about him in letters to his children. The first Dr Dolittle book was published in 1920.

2

The owl, Too-Too, suddenly said, ‘Sh! Listen. There’s someone in there.’

They all kept still a moment. Then, the doctor said, ‘I don’t hear anything.’

‘Sh!’ said the owl. ‘There it is again. I hear someone putting his hand in his pocket.’

‘But that makes hardly any sound at all,’ said the doctor. ‘You couldn’t hear that out here.’

‘Oh, but I can,’ said Too-Too. ‘Almost everything makes a noise, if your ears are sharp enough to catch it. Owls are very good listeners. I can tell the colour of a kitten from the way it winks in the dark.’

‘Well, well!’ said the doctor. ‘That’s very interesting. Listen again, Too-Too. What is he doing now?’

After a moment, Too-Too spoke. ‘He’s rubbing his face with his left hand. It’s a small hand and a small face. It might be a woman. No. Now he pushes his hair back off his forehead. It’s a man.’

Too-Too listened again, long and hard.

He finally said, ‘The man is unhappy. He weeps. He’s trying to be quiet, so we won’t hear him. But I heard a tear falling on his sleeve.’

‘How do you know that?’ asked Dab-Dab. ‘Couldn’t it have been a drop of water falling from the ceiling?’

‘Pshaw!’ sniffed Too-Too. ‘That would make ten times as much noise!’

‘Well,’ said the doctor. ‘Let’s find out why the poor fellow is unhappy. Find me an axe. I’ll chop down the door.’

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SRF_Box_3_Too-TootheListener.indd 50 09/01/18 2:50 PM

Adapted from a story by Hugh Lofting Box 3 • 540L ■ Level 23

1

The doctor stood on the deck of the ship. He watched the Canary Islands fade away in the blue dusk of the evening.

Dab-Dab came tumbling up the stairs. ‘Doctor!’ she cried. ‘The beds downstairs are made of silk, and there are all sorts of good things to eat and drink. Oh, and we found a room with a locked door. Jip says it must be the pirates’ treasure room. But we can’t get in.’

The doctor went downstairs, where the animals were gathered around a little door. The doctor couldn’t open it either. They went hunting for the key.

They found wonderful things that the pirates had stolen from other ships. But nowhere in the whole ship could they find a key to fit that lock. They went back to stand by the door. What could they do?

Too-Too the

Listener

Doctor Dolittle was a very special doctor. He could understand animals and talk to them. In this part of the story, Doctor Dolittle has scared a band of pirates into becoming farmers. He and his animal crew set off in the pirates’ ship. With him are Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog and Too-Too the owl. They are going home.

SRF_Box_3_Too-TootheListener.indd 49 09/01/18 2:50 PM

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SRFTG_3_TooTooTheListener_ed.indd 87 09/01/18 2:53 PM


16 Environmental News

Sunny YellowA bit of yellow can make people feel happy and full of energy.

However being in a bright-yellow room for too long can make you angry. Babies even cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow stands out.

‘That’s why road signs are often yellow,’ explains Dr Morton.

Experts say yellow can also help you remember. That makes it a great colour for sticky notes and highlighters!

What’s your favourite colour? How does it make you feel? Dr Jill Morton is an expert on colour. She studies how colours change people’s moods. She says colours may affect how people act. They can even make you hungry!

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DOES YELLOW MAKE YOU SMILE?

Explanation, 490L Level 21

GRSR_M_Magazine_DoesYellow.indd 1 6/06/2016 2:39:57 PM


Environmental News 17

Stop for RedWhy are stop signs red? They are red because they attract people’s attention. Red makes your heart beat faster!

Animals use red to get attention. Sometimes red attracts a mate. Sometimes it acts as a warning. Many ladybirds are bright red and orange. That tells other animals that they might be poisonous.

Many restaurant chains have red and yellow logos. These are perfect colours for fast-food companies. Why? Experts say looking at red and yellow makes people hungry. It makes them eat and leave more quickly as well!

True BlueBlue is the colour of the sky and the ocean. People often feel calm in blue rooms. The sky and the ocean are always there. Blue is linked to things you can trust.

Try doing your homework in a blue room. It may help you relax and focus. Experts say you should wear blue when you have a test.

Go GreenPlants, leaves and grass are often green. People like nature’s colours. Many people think green is a friendly colour. People might feel comfortable around you when you wear green.

Not everyone has the same feelings about colour though. ‘Choose colours that you like,’ Dr Morton suggests. ‘You will feel better and perform better.’

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GRSR_M_Magazine_DoesYellow.indd 2 6/06/2016 2:39:59 PM


MagazineGold, Level 21, 490L

Text Type: Explanation

Summary: These pages are about the surprising ways in which colours can affect how people feel and behave.

Themes/Ideas: learn how colour can affect a person’s behaviour; find out why experts study the ways in which people react to different colours

Text Features: section headings, photos

Vocabulary:

• calm: a relaxed, unexcited mood

• experts: people who know a lot about a particular topic

• focus: to pay close attention to something specific

• mood: how a person feels at a specific time

• perform: to do specific actions successfully or well

• sunny: happy; cheerful

• true blue: (idiom) loyal

Does Yellow Make You Smile? Focus Question: How can certain colours affect a person’s mood and

behaviour?

PREPARE & READ

• Discuss the way some colours seem to change the way people feel.• Ask students to read the card.

READ CLOSELY

Key Ideas and DetailsWho is Dr Jill Morton? Which sentences give you information about what she studies? Why does the author write about her in this article? 1

Text FeatureHow do the headings set up the information the author gives about each colour and how it affects people? Do section headings make an article easier to read? Why or why not? 2 – 5

Make ConnectionsIn her introduction, the author says that colour can make you hungry. Where does she give more information about which colours make you hungry? 1 3

Make InferencesWhich colour might help you study for a test? Which details give you hints about which colour might be useful for studying? 3

. . . The author says yellow helps you remember. I would use yellow sticky notes and highlighters to review my study notes.

Draw ConclusionsThe author writes that the colour blue is associated with things people can trust. Why? How does this detail help you understand why the colour blue can make a person feel calm? 4

Photos and TextHow does the photo of a crying baby help you understand the author’s points about the “sunny” colour yellow? How do the other photos in the article link to the information the author shares about the colours? 2 – 5

Key Ideas and DetailsThe author writes, “Not everyone has the same feelings about colour”. Why is this an important detail to include in the article? 5

. . . This is an important detail because Dr Morton has found that colour can affect how people act, but that does not mean that colour will always affect people in the same way every time. For instance, the yellow room that makes a baby cry might make someone else feel happy and full of energy.

?

Short Reads Non-fiction24

SR_Box3_TG_pp10-29.indd 24 15/06/2016 6:48:52 PM


DISCUSS

These questions can be used for paired discussion. Ask students to use the text to support their reasoning. Then ask them to share their conclusions with the group.

• The author uses the adjectives happy and angry to describe how people may react to yellow. Look back at the article. Which adjectives does the author use to describe red, blue and green and how people react to these colours?

• Think about the ending of this article. Is it a good one? Why do you think Dr Morton says that you should wear whatever colours you like? How could that make it possible for you to feel good and perform well?

• Which colour or colours would you choose to paint your dentist’s waiting room? Why?

WRITE


• Create fact cards, one for each of the colours from the article. On each card list two or three facts. Use details from the text about each colour and how it can change how a person acts or feels. (Information/Explanation)

• Which two specific colour effects are the most important for people to understand? Why? Use details from the article to help support your opinion. (Opinion)

The Point of Science: Why do you think scientists like Dr Morton study the way colour affects people? How can people use this information?

BOX 3 Teacher’s Guide

Environmental News 17

Stop for RedWhy are stop signs red? They are red because they attract people’s attention. Red makes your heart beat faster! Animals use red to get attention. Sometimes red attracts a mate. Sometimes it acts as a warning. Many ladybirds are bright red and orange. That tells other animals that they might be poisonous.Many restaurant chains have red and yellow logos. These are perfect colours for fast-food companies. Why? Experts say looking at red and yellow makes people hungry. It makes them eat and leave more quickly as well!

True BlueBlue is the colour of the sky and the ocean. People often feel calm in blue rooms. The sky and the ocean are always there. Blue is linked to things you can trust.

Try doing your homework in a blue room. It may help you relax and focus. Experts say you should wear blue when you have a test.

Go GreenPlants, leaves and grass are often green. People like nature’s colours. Many people think green is a friendly colour. People might feel comfortable around you when you wear green.

Not everyone has the same feelings about colour though. ‘Choose colours that you like,’ Dr Morton suggests. ‘You will feel better and perform better.’16 Environmental News

Sunny YellowA bit of yellow can make people feel happy and full of energy.

However being in a bright-yellow room for too long can make you angry. Babies even cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow stands out.

‘That’s why road signs are often yellow,’ explains Dr Morton.

Experts say yellow can also help you remember. That makes it a great colour for sticky notes and highlighters!

What’s your favourite colour? How does it make you feel? Dr Jill Morton is an expert on colour. She studies how colours change people’s moods. She says colours may affect how people act. They can even make you hungry!

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Reef shark

Algae and tiny plants live among the coral. They are eaten by tiny animals such as krill. The krill feed small fish. These feed larger fish. Right at the top of the food chain are sharks. What would happen if there were no sharks on the reef?

Who eats what?

Reef Predators

SnapperKrill

Coral reefs are mostly found in the warm waters around the equator. They make up a tiny part of Earth’s surface. Yet one-quarter of all sea creatures live on coral reefs! They are the ‘big cities’ of the ocean.

What Lives on Reefs?• Corals come in all shapes and

colours. Many kinds of starfish live among them. Sponges, crabs, octopuses and squid also live there.

• Sea grass meadows grow in and around reefs. Sea turtles and dugongs eat the sea grass. The meadows provide a safe place for fish to breed.

• Fish of all sizes live on reefs, from tiny gobies to giant barracuda.

Coral reefs are teeming with life. It’s not surprising that predators love reefs too! So what are the top predators of the reef? Let’s take a look at the food chain.

Explanation, 600L Level 24

REEF PREDATORS

SHORTREADS

GRSR_O_FactBook_Reef_Predators.indd 12 6/06/2016 6:53:40 PM


Tiger Sharks Divers who explore reefs know that most sharks won’t attack. But tiger sharks mean danger! Tiger sharks start life with stripes. Their stripes fade as they get older. These sharks can be over 4 metres long. That’s about the length of a minivan.Why do these fast-moving, powerful sharks visit coral reefs? They’re looking for food. They eat everything from sea snakes to other sharks! They’ll eat almost anything they find!

In the Spotlight

Built for SpeedThe powerful barracuda is one of the largest reef fish. Although thin, barracuda can grow to 2 metres in length. All types of fish are their prey. They’re fast and aggressive hunters! Swimmers and divers need to be careful. A barracuda might mistake them for prey.

In Caves and CrevicesWhitetip reef sharks are small. They grow to less than 2 metres long. They spend their lives on reefs. During the day, they rest in caves or on the sea floor.

At night they hunt. They like slow-moving animals such as crabs, lobsters and eels. Sleeping fish are a good target. They also chase fish through crevices (narrow spaces) in the reef.

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GRSR_O_FactBook_Reef_Predators.indd 13 6/06/2016 6:53:45 PM


Fact FileSilver/White, Level 24, 600L

Text Type: Explanation

Summary: This fact book discusses food chains in coral reefs and the kinds of predators that are at the top.

Themes/Ideas: understand characteristics of coral reefs; recognise different reef predators and their characteristics

Text Features: photos, text boxes, bullets, diagrams

Vocabulary:

• coral reefs: underwater habitats made from coral

• creatures: animals

• crevices: tight spaces

• dugong: a large sea animal that eats seagrass, often called a ‘sea cow’

• food chain: the relationship between creatures in a habitat that describes what they eat and are eaten by

• goby: small fish

• sea turtle: a reptile with a hard shell on its back, lives in the sea

• seagrass: flowering plants that grow on the sea bed

Reef Predators Focus Question: Why are sharks and other reef predators and coral

reefs so important to each other?

PREPARE & READ

• Note that this card is from a fact file about coral reefs.• Discuss the meaning of the word predators.• Ask students to read the card.

READ CLOSELY

Key Ideas and DetailsReread the first section of text. What information does it give? Does this paragraph serve as an effective introduction to the rest of the text? Explain. 1

Author’s Purpose/IntentionHow is the information on the front of the card different from the information on the back? Why do you think the author presented the information in this order? 1 – 7

Vocabulary/Text FeatureWhat is a “food chain”? What phrases in the text help you understand what a food chain is? How does the diagram help you understand the definition of food chain? 3 4

. . . A food chain is a system in a habitat, a place where animals normally live. The text tells me that “Algae and tiny plants live among the coral. They are eaten by tiny animals such as krill. The krill feed small fish. These feed larger fish”. It also says, “Right at the top of the food chain are sharks”. The diagram shows me a shark at the end of the food chain with smaller sea animals before it. A chain links several things together, so a food chain shows how animals are linked with what they eat (and what eats them).

Text FeatureLook at the diagram at the bottom of the “Who eats what?” section. How do the arrows help support the information in the text? 4

Words and Phrases in ContextAuthors sometimes use a difficult word and then give its definition. Look for an example of this in the section “In Caves and Crevices”. How does this technique help you understand the word crevices? 6

. . . In the “In Caves and Crevices” section, the phrase “crevices (narrow spaces)” appears. The parentheses show that the word crevices is being defined. This technique helps me understand that crevices are narrow spaces.

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DISCUSS

These questions can be used for paired discussion. Ask students to use the text to support their reasoning. Then ask them to share their conclusions with the group.

• How did the author organise information on these pages? Are all the sections organised in the same way? Can you find an example of bulleted points, description and cause–effect order?

• How do the details about each kind of predator help you better understand the relationship between the predators and the coral reefs?

• What can you infer about the importance of coral reefs to ocean life? What information from the text supports your inference?

WRITE


• What do the predators described in the text have in common? Summarise what you learned about the sharks from the text. (Information/Explanation)

• Which predator described in the text seems most dangerous to humans? Write a paragraph, stating your opinion and supporting it with facts and details from the text. (Opinion)

How Do You Know? The text says that tiger sharks “mean danger”. What details in the text tell you why tiger sharks might be dangerous to people?

BOX 3 Teacher’s Guide

Tiger Sharks Divers who explore reefs know that most sharks won’t attack. But tiger sharks mean danger! Tiger sharks start life with stripes. Their stripes fade as they get older. These sharks can be over 4 metres long. That’s about the length of a minivan.Why do these fast-moving, powerful sharks visit coral reefs? They’re looking for food. They eat everything from sea snakes to other sharks! They’ll eat almost anything they find!

In the Spotlight

Built for SpeedThe powerful barracuda is one of the largest reef fish. Although thin, barracuda can grow to 2 metres in length. All types of fish are their prey. They’re fast and aggressive hunters! Swimmers and divers need to be careful. A barracuda might mistake them for prey.

In Caves and CrevicesWhitetip reef sharks are small. They grow to less than 2 metres long. They spend their lives on reefs. During the day, they rest in caves or on the sea floor.

At night they hunt. They like slow-moving animals such as crabs, lobsters and eels. Sleeping fish are a good target. They also chase fish through crevices (narrow spaces) in the reef.

Reef shark

Algae and tiny plants live among the coral. They are eaten by tiny animals such as krill. The krill feed small fish. These feed larger fish. Right at the top of the food chain are sharks. What would happen if there were no sharks on the reef?

Who eats what?

Reef Predators

SnapperKrill

Coral reefs are mostly found in the warm waters around the equator. They make up a tiny part of Earth’s surface. Yet one-quarter of all sea creatures live on coral reefs! They are the ‘big cities’ of the ocean.

What Lives on Reefs?• Corals come in all shapes and

colours. Many kinds of starfish liveamong them. Sponges, crabs,octopuses and squid also livethere.

• Sea grass meadows grow in andaround reefs. Sea turtles anddugongs eat the sea grass. Themeadows provide a safe place forfish to breed.

• Fish of all sizes live on reefs, fromtiny gobies to giant barracuda.

Coral reefs are teeming with life. It’s not surprising that predators love reefs too! So what are the top predators of the reef? Let’s take a look at the food chain.

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