Article
THE POKEMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL (PIKACHU); BORONIA VETERNARY CLINIC (GOLDEN BRUSHTAIL POSSUM)
Paired Texts,

Could Pikachu be Real?

It is yellow. It is cute. And it is a real animal! The golden brushtail possum looks just like Pikachu. But is it the same?

By Janice Behrens
From the December 2020 / January 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 470L
Guided Reading Level: K
DRA Level: 16-18
Vocabulary: joey, pouch
Common Core Standards
  • RI.2.4 Vocabulary RI.2.5 Nonfiction text features RI.2.9 Compare two texts on a similar topic RI.2.10 Read grade 2- appropriate informational text SL.2 Participate in conversations about grade 2 texts L.2.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to a word’s meaning
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (6) Geography. The student understands the locations and characteristics of places and regions in the community, state, and nation. The student is expected to: (A) identify major landforms and bodies of water, including each of the continents and each of the oceans, on maps and globes.
  • Social Studies
    (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs.
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Pikachu and...

What Is It?

THE POKEMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL

 

Pikachu is a super-cute cartoon character. It is a made-up creature. It has yellow fur, pointy ears, and a zigzag tail.

Pikachu is a cartoon character. It is a made-up creature. It has yellow fur. It has pointy ears. It has a zigzag tail.

Special Powers

Pikachu is an electric-type Pokémon. It can give off jolts of lightning. That helps it battle an enemy.

Pikachu is an electric-type Pokémon. It uses lightning.

Little Babies

THE POKEMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL

 

The baby form of Pikachu is called a Pichu. A Pichu looks a little different from a Pikachu. It has more black on its ears and tail. A Pichu can’t control its powers yet.

A baby Pikachu is called a Pichu. It has more black on its ears and tail than Pikachu. It can’t control its powers.

Where to Find One

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN

 

Pikachu and the other Pokémon were created in Japan. They were first in a video game. Now you can see them on TV and in the movies. You can find Pokémon toys and cards. People all over the world love them!

Pokémon started in Japan. First, they were in a video game. Now, they are on TV and in movies. You can find them on toys and cards.

The Real Pikachu

What Is It?

ROB CHADD/COURTESY HAMERTON ZOO PARK

 

This animal is real! It is a kind of possum. Possums live in trees. This kind has yellow fur, pointy ears, and a bushy tail.

This animal is a kind of possum. It is real. It climbs in trees. It has yellow fur. It has pointy ears. It has a bushy tail.

Special Powers

This possum can hold on to tree branches with its tail. It has a way to scare its enemies. It puts its ears up and stares at them.

It can hold on to trees with its tail. It can scare its enemies. It puts its ears up and stares at them.

Little Babies

ROMEO GACAD/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

 

Possum babies are called joeys. When a joey is first born, it stays in a pouch on its mom’s belly. At first, it doesn’t have fur. As it grows, it looks like its parents, only smaller.

A baby possum is called a joey. Joeys stay in a pouch on their mom’s belly. As a joey grows, it looks like its parents, only smaller.

Where to Find One

JIM MCMAHON/MAPMAN

 

It is very hard to find these possums. They live in the wild in Australia. Most of them are brown. Not many of them are yellow like Pikachu.

It is very hard to find these possums. They live in Australia. Most of them are brown. Not many of them are yellow like Pikachu.

THINK AND WRITE

Check out this skill-building sheet about this article.

THINK AND WRITE

Check out this skill-building sheet about this article.

Slideshows (1)
Activities (5)
Skills Activities
Slideshows (1)
Activities (5) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities

More About the Article

Social Studies Focus

Geography: maps

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. BEFORE READING

Activate Background Knowledge (5 minutes)

  • Ask kids if anyone knows what Pokémon is. You can even hold up a few Pokémon cards if you have them. Does anyone have any Pokémon cards?
  • Now say that there is a real animal that looks a lot like Pikachu. Let’s learn about it!

Preview vocabulary (5 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured words are joey and pouch.

Preview the article and set a purpose for reading (15 minutes)

  • Read Nosey’s question on page 19: “Is the possum the same as Pikachu?” Tell kids to think about that question as they read the article. We provide a Letter to Nosey skills page they can use to write Nosey at [email protected] after reading.

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (15-30 MINUTES)

  • You can read these articles aloud as a class, in small groups, or individually.
  • Point out that there is a lot to compare about these two creatures! Note a really important nonfiction text feature: the subheads. The subheads are the same on each side. That helps kids see how the two creatures are alike yet also different.

3. AFTER READING

Assessment Quiz (10 minutes)

  • Pass out the quiz to assess students’ comprehension of the article.

ELA Focus: Nonfiction Text Features (20 minutes)

  • These paired texts are packed with nonfiction text features such as headlines, subheads, maps, captions, and bold words. Kids can do our Nonfiction Text Feature Hunt skills page either digitally online or on a printed copy.

ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)

  • Pass out our Venn diagram to help kids compare and contrast Pikachu and the golden brushtail possum.

ELA Focus: Key Details (15 minutes)

  • Share our Letter to Nosey skills page. Kids can answer the question Nosey posed in the article: Are the golden brushtail possum and Pikachu the same? They can email Nosey at [email protected]. They just might get a letter back!

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