Yawn! You might think sleep is boring. You might think nothing happens when you sleep. But that’s not true. Your body and brain are busy.
Yawn! Do you think nothing happens when you sleep? That is not true. Your body and brain are busy.
iStockPhoto/Getty Images (Boy Sleeping); Art by Jenin Mohammed; Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock.com (Background)
The Secrets of Sleep
What really happens when you sleep?
By Janice Behrens
From the October/November 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 450L
Guided Reading Level: I
DRA Level: 16
Vocabulary: scab, chemicals, muscles, mucus, sense
Common Core Standards
The Secrets of Sleep
What really happens when you sleep?
Busy Body
When you sleep, your body is still working. It does most of its healing at night too.
Have you ever had a cut on your knee? While you sleep, the scab gets stronger.
Sleep also helps you grow. Your sleeping brain sends out chemicals. They tell your bones to grow.
Your body is working as you sleep. It does most of its healing at night.
Have you ever had a cut on your knee? The scab gets stronger while you sleep.
Sleep helps you grow. Your sleeping brain tells your bones to grow.
Busy Brain
Your brain doesn’t turn off when you sleep. It is busy dreaming.
When you dream, you are sleeping very deeply. Your brain tells your muscles to stay still. That way, if you fly around in your dream, you won’t try to fly in bed.
But one thing keeps moving when you dream. Your eyeballs move around under your eyelids!
Your brain is busy when you sleep. It is busy dreaming.
When you dream, you are sleeping very deeply. Your brain tells your muscles to stay still.
One thing keeps moving when you dream. Your eyeballs move under your eyelids!
Ready for Bed?
Now you probably can’t wait to go to bed tonight. So much happens when you turn out the light! Zzzzz.
Now you probably can’t wait to go to sleep tonight. So much happens when you turn out the light!
Six Sleepy Animals
Owen Newman/NPL/Minden Pictures
Leopards
They fall asleep high up in trees. That keeps them safe from enemies.
Leopards
They fall asleep high up in trees.
Zoonar GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo
Flamingos
They sleep on one leg. That may help them keep warm.
Flamingos
They sleep on one leg.
Ann and Steve Toon/NPL/Minden Pictures
Meerkats
They sleep together in a pile. That keeps them warm.
Meerkats
They sleep together in a pile.
Ito Fukuo/Nature Production/Minden Pictures
Parrotfish
They make a bubble of mucus (MYOO-kuss) around themselves when they sleep. That keeps them safe from enemies.
Parrotfish
They sleep in a bubble of mucus (MYOO-kuss).
Ito Fukuo/Nature Production/Minden Pictures
Giraffes
They rest their heads on their backs. That is really comfy!
Giraffes
They rest their heads on their backs.
iStockPhoto/Getty Images
Red-eyed Tree Frogs
They have see-through eyelids. That lets them sense enemies while they sleep.
Red-eyed Tree Frogs
They have see-through eyelids.
video
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Activities
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Skills Activities
More About the Article
Science Focus
Human body; Personal health; Animal needs
Vocabulary
scab, chemicals, muscles, mucus, sense
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
The big question of this issue of Storyworks 2 is: What surprising things happen in the dark?
- Reading and discussing “The Secrets of Sleep/Six Sleepy Animals,” along with the other nighttime-themed texts in the magazine (the Big Read, “A Creature in the Dark”; the Words & Pictures, “The Stars Above Us”; the Fiction, “The Stars Below Me”; and the Poem, “Crash! Bang! Boom!”), should give kids insight into what makes nighttime so special and surprising.
- Through the above stories, students will discuss: What interesting things happen after dark? Why does the dark sometimes feel scary? What happens after dark that you don’t expect?
1. BEFORE READING
Show “The Big Question” Video (10 minutes)
Watch “The Big Question: What Surprising Things Happen in the Dark?”
(This video also goes with other stories in this month’s Storyworks 2.)
- Before your students watch, ask them to think about the question: “What surprising things happen in the dark?”
- Watch the video.
- After watching, ask the question again. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.
Preview vocabulary (3-5 minutes)
- Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are scab, chemicals, muscles, mucus, and sense.
Preview the Article and Set a Purpose for Reading (15 minutes)
- Read the Think and Read prompt on page 19: “As you read, find two things your body does while you’re asleep.”
- Tell kids to write down their two things as they read the article.
2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (10 MINUTES)
- You can read these articles aloud as a class, in small groups, or individually.
- Point out that the first article focuses on what hapens when humans sleep and the second article looks at the sleep habits of six very different animals.
- The two texts are related because they’re both about sleep.
3. AFTER READING
ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)
- Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.
- Both quizzes are available in multiple-choice and written-answer formats.
ELA Focus: Key Details (20 minutes)
- It’s time to help Nosey fill out her Fact File! Print out Nosey’s Fact File. Kids can find facts from the article.
- Each fact box is scaffolded to help kids know what to write.
- Kids can share their facts with a partner or with the whole class, or they can email their Fact Files to Nosey at [email protected]!
ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)
- Pass out our “Sleep T-Chart” printable to help kids compare and contrast their own sleep habits with those of one of the animals from the article.
Enrich the Learning: Paired Text Opportunities (time amount varies)
Making text-to-text connections builds knowledge and comprehension. We layer Storyworks 2 with many ways for your students to make connections.
Pairable Texts The Big Read, “A Creature in the Dark” (pages 6-11); the Fiction, “The Stars Below Me” (pages 24-29); and the Poem, “Crash! Bang! Boom!” (page 32)
Text-to-Speech