a cat and a chameleon sticking out their tongues
Page 18: Seregraff/Shutterstock.com (All Images); Page 19: kuritafsheen/RooM RF/Getty Images

Slurp!

You taste with your tongue. You talk with your tongue. But what if you had a cat tongue or a chameleon (kuh-MEEL-yuhn) tongue? You could do some amazing things!  

By Janice Behrens and Erin Kelly
From the September 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 470L
Guided Reading Level: K
DRA Level: 20-24
Vocabulary: chameleon, sandpaper, spikes
Download and Print
Think and Read

As you read, think about how cat and chameleon tongues are alike and different.

What If You Had a Cat Tongue?

It would look like this.

TGPhoto/Alamy Stock Photo

A kitty has a cute pink tongue. But that little tongue is covered in spikes! Look closely to see them! A cat’s tongue feels rough like sandpaper. Imagine if you had a rough cat tongue.

A cat has a pink tongue. It is covered in spikes! It feels rough. Imagine if you had a rough cat tongue.

You would use it for this.

SUZANNE TUCKER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Cats use their tongues to get clean. They lick their fur. The spiky tongue is like a comb. It spreads spit in the fur. It gets out dirt and bugs. You would be so clean with a cat tongue!

Cats use their tongue to lick their fur. The spikes are like a comb. They get out dirt. You would get so clean!

You could do this trick.

IRISLUK/Shutterstock.com

Have you ever seen a cat drink? Cats use their tongues to lap up water. Their tongues move super fast. A cat dips its tongue in the water four times every second. If you had a cat tongue, you could do that too!

Cats use their tongues to lap up water. Their tongues move super fast. If you had a cat tongue, you could do that too

What If You Had a Chameleon Tongue?

It would look like this.

Cathy Keifer/Shutterstock.com

A chameleon has an extra-long tongue. Its tongue is longer than its body! Chameleon tongues are covered in shiny, sticky spit. Imagine you had a long, sticky tongue.

A chameleon has a long tongue. The tongue is longer than its body! Its tongue is covered with sticky spit. Imagine you had a long and sticky tongue.

You would use it for this.

Cathy Keifer/Shutterstock.com

Chameleons catch insects with their tongues. When a bug goes by, the chameleon shoots out its tongue. The bug sticks to it. With this tongue, you would catch a bug for lunch.

Chameleons catch insects with their tongues. The chameleon shoots out its tongue when it sees a fly. The fly sticks to it. With this tongue, you could catch a fly.

You could do this trick.

Paul Souders/Getty Images

The chameleon’s tongue is super long. But it doesn’t hang out of the chameleon’s mouth. It rolls up and fits inside! Chameleon tongues are tricky! Would you like a tongue like that?

The chameleon’s tongue is long. It rolls up and fits inside the chameleon’s mouth! Would you like a tongue like that?

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Slideshows (1)
Activities (4)
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Slideshows (1)
Activities (4) Download All Quizzes and Activities

More About the Article

Science Focus

Animal Adaptations

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

1. BEFORE READING

Preview Vocabulary (3-5 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are chameleon, sandpaper, and spikes.

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

  • Read the purple Think and Read prompt on page 19: “As you read, think about how cat and chameleon tongues are alike and different.”
  • Tell kids to think about that question 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 there is a lot to compare about these two types of 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 animal tongues are alike yet also different.

3. AFTER READING

ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)

ELA Focus: Key Details (20 minutes)

  • It’s time to help Nosey fill out her Fact File! Print out Nosey’s Fact File from the Resources section of our website. 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 Venn diagram to help kids compare and contrast cat tongues and chameleon tongues.

Text-to-Speech