Image of a shark and image of a tiger
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Paired Texts,

Would You Rather Chomp Like a Tiger or a Shark?

Tigers and sharks are fierce predators. They survive by hunting other animals. Come along as they hunt.

By Meg Richardson
From the May/June 2024 Issue

Children compare and contrast two short nonfiction articles, one about tigers and one about sharks.

Lexile® measure: 470L
Featured Skill: Compare Two Texts,
Vocabulary: night vision, prey, boar, stalk, camouflage, phenomenal, torpedo
Topic: Science,
Common Core Standards
  • RI.2.1 Key details RI.2.4 Vocabulary RI.2.5 Nonfiction text features RI.2.7 Use visuals RI.2.9 Compare two versions of the same story RI.2.10 Read grade-2-appropriate informational texts SL.2 Participate in conversations about grade-2 texts
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify the basic needs of plants and animals; (C) compare the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environments such as through food chains. (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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Think and Read

As you read, think about how tigers and sharks are alike and different. 

Chomp Like a Tiger?

Louise Heusinkveld/Alamy Stock Photo

A Siberian tiger

Imagine you are a Siberian tiger. It is nighttime—time for you to hunt. It’s dark out, but you don’t mind. You have powerful hearing and amazing night vision. 

First, you need to find your prey, the animal you will eat. Just then, you hear something. Swish, swish. There is a wild boar in the grass. This is perfect.

You stalk the boar. You follow it. Your paws have soft pads on them, so you don’t make a sound. 

Your stripes help you camouflage in the tall grasses. You blend in. The boar can’t see you at all.


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Swoosh! A tiger running

You follow the boar for a long time. You get closer and closer. You are silent and careful. 

Then you pounce. Your strong back legs shoot you forward. You jump 20 feet through the air! 

You sink your long teeth into the boar’s neck. You kill it. This boar will feed you for a whole week. Yum, yum, what a filling meal.


Chomp Like a Shark?

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A great white shark

You are a great white shark. It’s early in the morning. Rays of light shine through the ocean. It’s the perfect time to hunt. 

You look up. You see a seal swimming above you. You hide in the shadows. You plan your attack. 

Your senses are so good. They are phenomenal. You smell the seal. You hear its heartbeat. 

You have 300 teeth, ready to chomp. Your teeth are in rows. The oldest teeth are in the front. The newest teeth are in back. 


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Splash! A shark jumping

As soon as a tooth gets too dull, a sharp one moves up to take its place. You will go through about 20,000 teeth in your lifetime. 

Now it’s time to get the seal. You shoot up through the water like a torpedo. 

You grab the seal in your jaws. You swing your head back and forth. That helps you saw through the seal with your teeth. 

The seal is dead. You have won the battle. Mmm, delicious. 


video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (5)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (5) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

Science Focus

Predators

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

Small group; whole group; independent reading

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue, these texts all go with the chomp theme:

“Purr-ty Tough,” p. 2

“The Bone Hunter,” p. 6

“Would You Rather Chomp Like a Tiger or a Shark?,” p. 18

“Friends on the Menu,” p. 32

  • From the Storyworks 2 Archive:

"Brave Shark?” (September 2022) Students can read a sweet and funny poem about a shark who is afraid of the dark.

Before-Reading Resources

  • Text Preview Bookmarks 

(10 minutes) Kids can cut out the nonfiction bookmark and use it to preview the text.

  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow 

(5 minutes) Help students become familiar with vocabulary words they will see in the article. 

  • Watch the video “What Are Predators?”

(5 minutes) Give students background information about predators and prey before they read the article. 

Suggested Reading Focus

Compare and contrast (30 minutes)

  • Ask the Think and Read question. 
  • Read both articles. Ask kids to compare and contrast them.

After-Reading Skills Practice

(15 minutes for each activity)

  • Quiz: Comprehension check
  • Venn Diagram: Students can compare and contrast the articles using this graphic organizer.
  • Letter to Nosey: Would you rather chomp like a tiger or a shark? Students can write a letter to Nosey using key details from the articles. Send pictures of their letters to [email protected]. Nosey will write back!
  • Chomp Chart: Students can compare the themed articles in the magazine.

Text-to-Speech