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Background Builder,

Creatures!

You are going to read an article about a creature called the yeti. Is the creature real, or is it just in stories? Here are five facts to know first.

From the October/November 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: Give students background knowledge about creatures before they read this issue's Big Read, "Creature of the Mountains."

Lexile® measure: 440L
Featured Skill: Vocabulary, Main Idea,
Vocabulary: discover, mythical, proved
Topic: Social Studies, Science,
Common Core Standards
  • Social Studies Focus:
    Culture
  • 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 texts on a similar topic RI.2.10 Read grade-2-appropriate informational text SL.2 Participate in conversations about grade-2 texts

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1. There are many real creatures in the world.

YI-KAI TEA (ROSE-VEILED FAIRY WRASSE); © ANTOINE FOUQUET (SYNAPTURANUS ZOMBIE FROG); © DOMINIK SHUSSLER (JONAH’S MOUSE LEMUR)

Synapturanus zombie frog, Jonah’s mouse lemur, rose-veiled fairy wrasse

They are incredible! Scientists discover new kinds of animals all the time. They study them. They take photos of them. These animals were all discovered in the past few years!

They each look a little different!

2. Long ago, people believed in other amazing creatures.

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People told stories about mythical creatures like unicorns. There was a time when people thought they were real!


3. There are creatures that may or may not be real.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARY HANNA

The Loch Ness monster is one. People tell stories about it. They say it lives in a deep lake. But no one has proved it is real.


4. Another famous creature is Bigfoot.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY GARY HANNA

People say Bigfoot is big and hairy. Some say they have seen it. But they don’t have good photos of it. They don’t have good videos either. No one is sure if Bigfoot is real.


5. And another creature is the yeti!

ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES 

In stories, the yeti lives in snowy mountains. One man climbed a mountain looking for it. Did he find it? Turn the page to see.


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

About the Article

Social Studies Focus:

Culture

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 creatures theme:

  • “Squirt!,” p. 2
  • “Creatures!,” p. 4
  • “Creature of the Mountains,” p. 6
  • “Whoosh! Bats and Flying Squirrels,” p. 18
  • “Betty Met a Yeti,” p. 32

 

Book Pairing:

  • The Unicorn and Yeti series. These fun stories about two friends are perfect for second-graders!

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.

Suggested Reading Focus

Comprehension, nonfiction text features (30 minutes)

  • This article gives students background knowledge that  will help them better understand this issue’s Big Read,  “Creature of the Mountains,” on pages 6-11.

After-Reading Skills Practice (15 minutes)

  • Quiz: Comprehension check
  • Nosey's Fact File: Students can write key details  from the text on this page. Send photos of their pages,  or emails of their facts to [email protected]. She will write back!

 

After-Reading Text Comparisons (15 minutes for each activity)

  • Two Different Texts: Use to compare and contrast the
    Big Read with the Background Builder.
  • Creature Chart: Use to compare and contrast the themed
    texts in the issue.

Text-to-Speech