Name
Date
Monday, October 10
The Red String
By Brenda B. Covert
Daisy was a monkey who lived in a tree house. She wore a pretty, pink
flower over her ear. Her best friend was a parrot named Chad. He had gone
on a trip.
The mail monkey came with a note for Daisy. She read it and then asked,
"Did you read this note?"
"I did not read the note," he said. "It is not polite to read other monkeys'
mail."
"Who sent it?" she asked him. He did not know.
"The note says to go out and follow a red string. There is a surprise
waiting. Did you see a red string outside?" Daisy asked.
"No," said the mail monkey. "I just bring the mail. I do not look for
string." He took his mail cart and left.
Daisy put the note on the table. She sat down to dine on egg salad. "Should
I add salt or pepper?" she asked herself. Then she added both. After the egg
salad, Daisy could have a banana or an apple. She picked an apple and cut
it up. She saved the seeds.
"When Chad comes home, I will give him these seeds," Daisy said.
Daisy decided to ride her bike, but she found a red string tied to it.
"The red string! I almost forgot!" Daisy cried. "I need to read that note
again."
She went and got the note. Who sent it? Why should she follow the red
string? What kind of surprise was waiting for her? "I am going to crack this
case!" Daisy sounded like a detective. "I will solve the mystery of the red
string."
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Monday, October 10
The red string went into the bushes. Daisy followed it. It went over a giant
rock shaped like a cube. Daisy jumped to the top of the rock. One corner
had been chipped off. The chip was lying on the ground. Daisy jumped
down and put the chip in her pocket.
"I can smash coconuts with this," she told herself.
The red string went into trees. It went under rocks and bushes. It went
around a deep well and into a cave.
Did Daisy want to go into the cave? It was dark in there. It was damp in
there. "I must be brave!" Daisy said.
She stepped into the cave. She picked up the string and gave a small tug.
"Who's there?" a deep voice said.
Daisy put her hands over her eyes. "It's Daisy," she said. She wished that
she had stayed home.
"How are you, Daisy?" the scary voice asked.
"I'm fine," she said.
"Well, it took you a long time to find me!" said a funny bird voice.
"Chad, is that you?" Daisy asked.
Chad flew out of the darkness. "Here I am! I am back from my trip!"
Daisy giggled. "Chad, you are the surprise at the end of the red string! You
are the best surprise of all!"
Name
Date
Monday, October 10
The Red String
Questions
1. What did Daisy eat for lunch?
2. Who was Daisy's best friend?
3. Why did Daisy follow the red string?
4. Where did Daisy find Chad?
Name
Date
Monday, October 10
A Day on the Wild Side
By Beth Beutler
Today, I went to the zoo. It was great fun! I
saw lots of animals. They were wild animals.
There were lions and tigers and bears. Oh, my!
I loved the tigers. They are so strong. They
walk with grace.
The monkeys were funny. They were always cleaning themselves. They
made us laugh.
The giraffe was so tall. He had a long, black tongue. I never knew that! He
used his tongue to pull down branches. The leaves were gone from many
trees around him.
The long alligator sat in the sun. He looked tame, but I knew better. I left
him alone.
The zoo had an aquarium, too. We saw sharks and eels.
The hippo was almost ugly. He had big feet, big teeth, and a big mouth.
I loved the meerkats. They looked like kittens with raccoon faces. They
played together in the dirt. They chased each other. They were so fun to
watch!
My favorite area was the petting zoo. The goats were funny! They wanted
food. They nearly climbed over the fence! There was a huge pig, too. I
don't know how he could walk. The peacocks were pretty. They carry their
own fans!
We loved the zoo. All the wildlife was amazing. Every animal was unique.
Each one was special. That's how humans are, too.
Name
Date
Monday, October 10
A Day on the Wild Side
Questions
1. Which of the following animals was NOT mentioned in the story?
A. giraffes
B. meerkats
C. tigers
D. buffalo
2. How did the writer feel about his/her day at the zoo?
3. The writer's favorite area of the zoo was:
4. Which animals nearly climbed over the fence?
5. The writer never knew the giraffe had such a long ______.
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Monday, October 10
6. Out of the animals mentioned, which one would you enjoy the most?
7. The story says that a meerkat looks like a kitten with a raccoon face.
A. true
B. false
8. The writer thought one animal was ugly. Which animal was it?
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Tuesday, October 11
Thank You Berry Much
By Jennifer Jensen
"I do not like writing, Grandma," said
Thomas.
"But you really do like your new bike
helmet," said Grandma.
"Yes, Aunt Lisa knows I like green best," said
Thomas.
"You need to tell her that you like it," said
Grandma.
"You could write it for me, Grandma."
"No. You write the letter. Then Aunt Lisa will know you like the helmet,"
said Grandma.
"My grandmother told me a story about letters. Grandfather was a soldier
in the Civil War. He did not like to write letters. He did not have ink or
paper. But he missed my grandmother very much. He found a way to write
letters," said Grandma.
"How?" asked Thomas.
"He wrote on my grandmother's letters," said Grandma.
"Oh. He just wrote on the back," said Thomas.
"No. Grandmother wrote on both sides. Grandfather wrote between the
lines," said Grandma.
"But how did he write?" said Thomas.
"He made berry ink. He used a small cup. He filled it half full of berries.
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Tuesday, October 11
He mashed the berries. Then he put in the vinegar. He stirred it smooth.
Then he had ink." said Grandma.
"Did he write with his fingers?" asked Thomas.
"No. He found a goose feather. He cut the goose feather. He used it as a
pen. He dipped it in the ink. Then he wrote the letter," said Grandma.
"What if he did not find a feather?" asked Thomas.
"Sometimes he would use a cornstalk," said Grandma.
"Can I make berry ink, Grandma?" asked Thomas.
"Yes. Do you want to write to Aunt Lisa? Do you want to thank her for the
helmet?" asked Grandma.
"Yes," said Thomas. "I want to write a thank you berry much card."
Thank You Berry Much
Questions
1. What did Aunt Lisa buy Thomas?
A. a wagon
B. a helmet
C. a bicycle
D. skates
2. Grandma's grandfather fought in which war?
A. Desert Storm
B. The Civil War
C. World War II
D. the Revolutionary War
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Date
Tuesday, October 11
3. What two things did Grandma's grandfather need to make?
4. What is Thomas' favorite color?
A. blue
B. orange
C. green
D. red
5. How did Grandma's grandfather write his letter?
A. he uses his fingers dipped in berry ink
B. he uses charcoal
C. he uses a knife and a piece of wood
D. he uses a goose feather dipped in berry ink
6. What would make it hard to write a thank you card?
Name
Date
Tuesday, October 11
The Shape of Things
By Joyce Furstenau
Look around you, here and there.
You can see shapes everywhere.
What is a circle? It's a shape that's round
like a nickel that's rolling on the ground.
A pizza's round. A wheel is, too.
So is that plate that's colored blue.
What is a square? It has four sides that are the same.
It's like the red and black squares found on a checkers game.
A square is like a slice of cheese.
It's like an ice cube that you freeze.
What is a triangle? It has sides of three.
Here are some different triangles you might seea pizza slice, a guitar pick,
a pennant flying from a stick.
What is a rectangle? Its opposite sides measure the same.
A rectangle can look like a door inside its frame,
a dollar bill, the book you read,
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Tuesday, October 11
or the lumpy mattress on your bed.
What is a heart shape? It has two rounded curves on top
with a point on the bottom where the two sides stop.
You can use your hands to make a heart.
Putting thumbs together is where you start.
Then curve your fingers and touch them end to end.
You'll see a heart shape inside where your fingers bend.
Look around you, here and there.
You can see shapes everywhere.
The Shape of Things
Questions
1. Which of these things is in the shape of a circle?
A. a wheel
B. a box
C. a slice of pizza
D. a slice of cheese
2. Which of these is in the shape of a triangle?
A. a guitar pick
B. a wheel
C. a door
D. an ice cube
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Tuesday, October 11
3. What U.S. money is in the shape of a rectangle?
4. Which shape has three sides?
5. Which shape has two rounded curves on top?
6. Which shape has all four sides the same?
A. a circle
B. a triangle
C. a heart
D. a square
Name
Date
Wednesday, October 12
Don't Call It Dirt!
By Cindy Grigg
Have you ever helped plant a garden? Did
your hands get dirty? "Dirt" is another word
for soil. "Dirt" is something we might not
want. Soil, on the other hand, is very useful!
Without soil, much of life on Earth would die.
Plants need soil. Soil holds up plants. Plants
get water and nutrients they need from soil.
Many kinds of plants are food for people. Other plants are food for
animals. Without soil, people and animals wouldn't have food.
Some things live in soil. Earthworms make their homes there. Ants and
moles do, too. Thousands of kinds of microbes also live in the soil.
Microbes are living things that are too small to be seen without a
microscope. In a small amount of soil, hundreds of thousands of microbes
can be found!
Soil is important. It is a natural resource. Just like the air we breathe and
the water we drink, we need soil!
Don't Call It Dirt!
Questions
1. Which word means the same as "soil"?
A. microbe
B. dirt
C. microscope
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Wednesday, October 12
2. What is the main idea of this story?
A. Soil is important to life on Earth.
B. Microbes are too small to be seen without a microscope.
C. Earthworms live in soil.
3. What is a natural resource?
A. something found in nature that is useful to people
B. something that solves problems
C. money
4. Name something that lives in soil.
5. Soil is ______ to people.
A. useful
B. useless
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Date
Wednesday, October 12
Chip's New Home
By Mary Lynn Bushong
What if all squirrels lived in trees at first? How would
the first ground squirrels have come about? The story of
Chip might be one way.
At first, it was dark. Chip could not see. Then her eyes
opened. She could see her two brothers and her sister.
The four baby squirrels were very small at first. Then
they grew. Soon their nest was crowded.
Chip did not like being up high. The nest rocked when
the wind blew. It made her feel sick.
Chip's brother laughed at her. Her sister laughed, too. They thought it was
fun.
Their mother let them go out to play. The others ran along the branches.
They played tag on the tree.
Chip did not go out to play. Looking down made her dizzy. She was afraid
she would fall.
Her mother was not happy. She scolded Chip.
"You must go out and play," she said. "All squirrels live in trees. Get used
to it."
Mama squirrel shoved Chip out the door. Then she blocked it. Chip could
not go in.
Little by little, Chip climbed down the tree. She tried not to look down.
Finally she made it to the ground.
Chip was very happy. She ran around. She looked for food.
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Wednesday, October 12
Soon it was getting dark. Chip had to climb up to the nest. It was not so
hard. The next morning, she was pushed out again. She climbed down
slowly. Her brothers and sister ran up and down the tree. They passed her
many times.
Chip was happy when she was on the ground. She looked up. How awful it
would be to live up there all the time. Perhaps she could live on the ground!
She liked that idea so much that she planned her home. Not far away was a
pile of big rocks. They could make a strong home. Even the wind could not
move them.
Chip found a gap between three large rocks. This will make a good front
door, she thought.
She dug all day. Her grey fur turned brown with dirt. Her big fluffy tail
was very dirty, too. Chip trimmed her tail hair. It would stay clean if it was
shorter.
After a few days her new home was ready. She would not go back to the
tree. She loved her new home in the ground.
Chip's mother was upset. Her brother and sister were upset. They did not
know what to do.
"I am not a tree squirrel any more," she said. "I like being on the ground. I
am now a ground squirrel. I am the first, but I will not be the last."
Soon Chip's coat was always brown. Her tail did not get fluffy. Perhaps
Chip was the first ground squirrel.
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Date
Wednesday, October 12
Chip's New Home
Questions
1. How many sibling(s) did Chip have?
A. four
B. three
C. two
D. one
2. Chip felt ______ when the wind rocked the nest.
A. Sad
B. Happy
C. Sick
D. Angry
3. Chip's siblings played ______ in the tree.
A. Ball
B. Pretend
C. Tag
D. Red Rover
4. Looking down from the nest made Chip feel ______.
A. Angry
B. Sad
C. Dizzy
D. Sick
5. Chip's mom let her stay in the nest.
A. False
B. True
6. Chip wanted to be on the ground.
A. False
B. True
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Wednesday, October 12
7. Chip dug a hole under some rocks.
A. True
B. False
8. Chip's family was happy for her.
A. False
B. True
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Date
Thursday, October 13
What Is Erosion?
By Cindy Grigg
Erosion is the moving of rock, sand, or
soil by nature. Erosion changes the land.
Nature can use wind, water, or ice to cause
erosion. Big rocks break into smaller bits.
Sand is tiny bits of rock. Wind blows sand. It
carries it to new places. Wind blows soil
away from fields. Water can carry away soil
and rock. Glaciers are huge pieces of ice. They move across land. Ice can
move rock and soil, too.
Sometimes the pieces are carried far away from where they started out.
When the wind or water slows down, the pieces are put down. This is
called deposition.
Most of the time, erosion is slow. It may take millions of years. The
Grand Canyon was formed by millions of years of erosion.
On the other hand, erosion can be quick. Heavy rains can quickly carry
away soil and sand. A strong wind can quickly blow away sand and soil.
Erosion can be swift or slow, but it changes Earth's land.
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Date
Thursday, October 13
What Is Erosion?
Questions
1. What is the main idea of the text?
A. Erosion changes the land.
B. The Grand Canyon was formed by millions of years of erosion.
C. Heavy rains can cause fast erosion.
D. Erosion can be fast or slow.
2. What is erosion?
3. Which of these words means about the same as "fast"?
A. unhurried
B. catch
C. swift
4. Which group of words shows a change in the text?
A. can carry away
B. can quickly
C. on the other hand
5. The author's main purpose of this text is to ______.
A. persuade
B. inform
C. express personal feelings
6. Erosion is a ______ process.
A. fast
B. slow
C. natural
D. all of the above
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Date
Thursday, October 13
The Ant Who Loved Stars
By Brenda B. Covert
One clear night an ant sat on a hill. "It's a perfect night for counting stars,"
she said. "I will draw a map of them."
An old ant popped out of the hill. "Are you still up?" he asked. "It's late!"
The first ant told the old ant about her map. The old ant was kind. He took
a dewdrop and the sugar from a gumdrop. "I will mix these and make a
sweet drink," he said. He gave it to the ant who loved stars.
She took a sip. "This is better than a rain drop! Thank you!"
The old ant nodded. "I need to get some sleep. I will see you in the
morning," he said.
Alone again, the little ant marked nine stars on her map. Her paper looked
like a dot-to-dot page. "If I draw a line from star to star," she said, "it will
look like a square here. Next I can make a triangle. Here is a line of stars
that are close together." Making pictures with the stars was fun!
A moth flew down from a bush. It landed with a hop beside the ant. "You
poor thing," it said. "You should be in bed."
The ant shook her head. "I do not feel sleepy. I plan to stay up all night!"
The moth picked up the map. "What is this?" it asked.
"That is mine," said the ant. "It's a star map. Do stars stay in place or move
around? I want to find out."
"Why?" the moth asked.
The ant took her map back. "I love the stars," she said. "They are small
like ants."
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Thursday, October 13
With a shake of its head, the moth spread its brown wings and flew into the
dark.
Nine weeks later the ant took her map to the hill. When the stars came out,
she looked at her map. Then she looked up. Her eyes grew big. "The shapes
are still there!" she cried. "I see the square, the triangle and the line! They
stay together, and they also move across the sky. Wow!"
This finding thrilled the little ant. Her love for the stars grew in her heart.
What a joyful night!
The Ant Who Loved Stars
Questions
1. What was the little ant drawing?
2. Where did the old ant get the sugar for the drink?
3. Besides the old ant, who was the ant's other visitor?
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Thursday, October 13
4. What did the ant find out about the stars?
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Date
Friday, October 14
Ten by Ten with Dimes
By Brenda B. Covert
Brady looked at the spider. It was big and
black. It was fuzzy. It was made of rubber.
The spider was for sale. It cost one dollar.
Brady looked in his pocket. He did not have a
dollar. He had dimes. He had a dime for each
job he did at home.
Brady looked at the spider. It was creepy. It
would scare Nora. Brady loved to scare Nora.
Brady wanted the spider. It would scare his sister. He took his dimes out of
his pocket.
"I know that one dollar is the same as one hundred cents," he said. "I know
that one dime is ten cents. Do I have enough dimes? If my dimes add up to
one hundred cents, I can buy that rubber spider. One hundred cents is the
same as one dollar."
Counting the cents one by one would take too long. Brady knew how to
count by tens. Since each dime was worth ten cents, he would count them
by tens. By skipping all the middle numbers, he could count faster. Yes, he
would skip count to find out how much money he had.
He laid the first shiny dime on the shelf. "Ten." He put another dime
down. "Twenty." He kept laying dimes on the shelf. They were in a row.
"Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety."
Ninety cents was not enough. Brady was sad. He put his hand in his
pocket. His fingers hit something small, round, and flat. "One more dime!"
he cried.
Brady pulled out the dime. He put it on the shelf. He counted the dimes.
He had ten of them. He counted by tens to see if he had enough. Ten,
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Friday, October 14
twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, and one hundred.
"I have one hundred cents!" Brady cried. "I have a dollar in dimes! Ten
dimes is the same as one hundred cents!"
Brady scooped up his dimes and the spider. He raced to the front of the
shop. He paid for the spider.
Nora was gone when Brady got home. That was good. He could sneak into
her room. He could leave a surprise under her pillow.
"It will be funny to hear her yell," he told himself, and he hurried to his
own room.
Ten by Ten with Dimes
Questions
1. Where did the story take place?
A. In a cave
B. In Nora's bedroom
C. In Brady's bedroom
D. In a shop
2. Counting by tens can also be called:
A. skip counting
B. tensies
C. dime counting
D. evens and evens
3. Who is Nora?
A. the spider
B. Brady's wife
C. Brady's sister
D. a girl at school
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Friday, October 14
4. What comes after thirty when counting by tens?
A. thirty-one
B. forty
C. thirty-five
D. twenty
5. If Brady does three jobs for his mother, how many dimes will he get?
A. three
B. one
C. thirty
D. ten
6. Which word does NOT describe the spider?
A. rubber
B. cute
C. black
D. fuzzy
7. How many dimes did Brady have?
A. one
B. one hundred
C. nine
D. ten
8. What did Brady put under Nora's pillow?
A. a surprise
B. a spider
C. a candy bar
D. a dime
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Date
Friday, October 14
Tommy Gets a Pet
By Joyce Furstenau
Ten-year-old Tommy sat on his front steps
with his mother. He was quiet. Tommy was
thinking. He wanted a pet. He asked his
mother if he could take home a cat from the
pet store.
"No cats," said his mother. ‘We must follow
the rules. We cannot have any cats or dogs in
our apartment."
"What about a bird? Could I have a bird?"
Tommy asked. "Pat has a parrot. It stays in a cage in Pat's front room. I
would like to have a parrot like Pat."
"No, Tommy, a parrot is not what we want. We need a pet that is quiet. A
parrot would not be quiet," said his mother.
"What about a rat?" asked Tommy. "A rat would be quiet."
"A rat?" asked his mother. "I do not think I would like to have a rat living
in my apartment. No, I do not think you should get a rat. Let's try to think
of another pet."
Tommy thought and thought. He really wanted a pet.
"What kind of pet could I get that would be quiet?" Tommy thought to
himself. "I cannot keep a cat. I cannot keep a parrot. I cannot keep a rat.
What kind of pet can I keep?" he wondered.
His mother thought, too. She sat by Tommy on the steps. Tommy and his
mother were quiet. They both thought about pets.
"Let's talk to Mr. Taylor at the pet store," said his mother. "He might have
a quiet pet for you."
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Friday, October 14
"Great!" said Tommy.
Tommy and his mother walked to the pet store. They would ask Mr.
Taylor, the pet store owner.
"Mr. Taylor, Tommy wants a quiet pet," said mother. "We cannot have
cats or dogs in our apartment. I do not want a rat. A parrot is too noisy.
What kind of pet do you think Tommy and I could get?" asked Mother.
Mr. Taylor nodded his head. "I have just the thing. Meet T-Bone, a hermit
crab," he said. "Would a hermit crab be on the list of pets you can have in
your apartment?"
"Yes, I think it would," said Tommy's mother. "Would you like a hermit
crab, Tommy?"
"Oh, yes," said Tommy. "Thank you, Mr. Taylor. Thank you, Mother."
Tommy was happy, his mother was happy, Mr. Taylor was happy, and so
was T-Bone.
Tommy Gets a Pet
Questions
1. Where did Tommy live?
A. On a farm
B. In the city
C. By the ocean
D. In the mountains
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Friday, October 14
2. What was Tommy thinking about?
A. Something to eat
B. Getting a pet
C. Going fishing
D. Playing baseball
3. Why couldn't Tommy have a cat?
A. Cats were against the rules.
B. His mother didn't want a cat.
C. Cats were too loud.
D. Cats were too messy.
4. Why couldn't Tommy have a rat?
A. Rats were too small.
B. Rats were too fast.
C. Rats were against the rules.
D. His mother didn't want a rat.
5. Who was Mr. Taylor?
A. The grocery store owner
B. The pet store owner
C. The apartment owner
D. The mayor
6. What pet did Mr. Taylor have for Tommy?
A. A frog
B. A hermit crab
C. A turtle
D. A fish
7. Who was T-Bone?
A. A fish
B. A turtle
C. A hermit crab
D. A frog
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Saturday, October 15
Six by Six with Socks
By Brenda B. Covert
Millie opened her tote bag. She pulled out
yarn. She had green yarn. She had blue yarn.
She had yellow, pink, and red yarn. There was
a small ball of orange yarn too. Oh, that wasn't
yarn at all. It was a fruit!
Next, Millie took knitting needles from her
bag. They were very long. She liked how shiny
and silver they looked.
Last, she called for her children. "Amy! Boris!
Cece!" she called. "Dino, Ella, Freddy!" She heard the pitter-patter of feet.
"Come here, Glory, Hans, and India! Come quickly, Joey, Kiki, and Luis!"
Millie's children filled up the small room. They looked at their mother and
waited.
Millie looked at her children's feet. Some were bare. Some had on socks
with holes. Millie shook her head.
"Sweet children, you need new socks. I am going to knit you all some
socks!" The children cheered. "You may choose the color for your socks,"
she told them.
Amy wanted pink socks. Cece and Kiki wanted red socks. The boys
wanted blue or green socks. Ella and Glory wanted yellow socks. India
asked for rainbow socks!
"How many socks are you going to knit, Mama?" Luis asked.
"That's a good question," Millie replied. "Let's count feet to find out!"
The children groaned. There were too many feet to count! Millie just
smiled.
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Saturday, October 15
"This won't take long," she said. "I know how to skip count. Please line up
along the wall. I will count by sixes!"
Amy was first. Millie pointed a knitting needle at her and said, "Six." Amy
wiggled her six feet and looked at Boris. Millie pointed at Boris and said,
"Twelve." Boris wiggled his six feet. Twelve feet wiggled in all!
Cece nodded when Millie pointed at her and said, "Eighteen." Dino
giggled when he heard "Twenty-four!"
The fifth child in line was Ella. Her six feet danced when Millie said,
"Thirty." She winked at Freddy, whose number was thirty-six.
Millie quickly finished counting. The last six children were counted as
forty-two, forty-eight, fifty-four, sixty, sixty-six, and seventy-two.
"Wow! What a lot of socks!" cried Hans.
"Will it take long to knit seventy-two socks for twelve children?" Joey
asked.
Millie nodded. "Yes, it will take longer to knit them than it did to count
your feet."
The bug children decided to play the skip counting game. They took turns
chanting the numbers. "Six! Twelve! Eighteen! Twenty-four! Thirty!
Thirty-six! Forty-two! Forty-eight! Fifty-four! Sixty! Sixty-six!
Seventy-two!"
Millie soon knitted small socks for small feet. All of them loved their new
socks. India loved having rainbow socks best of all!
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Date
Saturday, October 15
Six by Six with Socks
Questions
1. Millie is a ______.
A. bug
B. monkey
C. farmer
D. starfish
2. This story teaches us to count by ______.
A. fives
B. fours
C. socks
D. sixes
3. Millie had ______ children.
A. sad
B. many
C. six
D. twelve
4. How many socks will Millie make for Boris?
A. two pair
B. two
C. six
D. none
5. Why did the children groan?
A. They did not like the colors.
B. They wanted to eat supper.
C. They did not want new socks.
D. They were sure that counting feet would take too long.
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Saturday, October 15
6. When counting by sixes, what comes after thirty?
A. thirty-six
B. twenty-four
C. sixteen
D. forty-two
7. Dino and Freddy wanted blue socks. How many blue socks did Millie
make?
A. thirty-six
B. six
C. four
D. twelve
8. Millie did not have any ______ yarn.
A. green
B. red
C. orange
D. yellow
Name
Date
Saturday, October 15
What Can I Do?
By Kathleen W. Redman
Marco watched his mother. She was putting cans
of food in a box.
"What are you doing, Mom?" he asked.
"This is National Food Bank Week," she said. "I
am going to take some food to the food bank on
the corner of Elm Street."
"What's a food bank?" Marco asked. "Is it like a
money bank?"
"A little bit," his mother said. "Sometimes people need help. They don't
have enough money to buy food. They can go to the food bank. The people
there will give them some food."
Marco thought about what his mother said. It made him sad. Everyone
should have food.
He wanted to help. He didn't have any money. He was not old enough to
have a job. How could he help?
He went in the kitchen. His mother had two big boxes of food.
"Help me put these boxes in the car," she said. "Then we will take them to
the food bank."
Marco put the boxes in the car. He got in and put on his seat belt.
He was still thinking about the food bank. He really wanted to help.
His mother drove the car down Elm Street. She parked it near the food
bank.
Name
Date
Saturday, October 15
Marco helped her carry the boxes inside. There was a man wiping off
tables just inside the door.
"Hello, Mr. Jackson," she said. "This is my son, Marco. He is helping me
today."
Mr. Jackson held out his hand. He shook hands with Marco.
"Welcome, Marco," he said. "I am glad to see that you are helping your
mother."
"Mr. Jackson, I want to help the food bank, too," Marco said. "I do not
have any money. I am not old enough to have a job. What can I do?"
Mr. Jackson looked very serious. He was thinking hard.
"Well, Marco, I think you are just about the right size," he said.
"The right size for what?" Marco asked.
"The right size for working in the community garden," Mr. Jackson said.
"Come on outside and I will help you get started."
"Yes!" Marco said. "Now I can help, too." He was very happy.
"I'll come back later, Marco," his mother said. "I am very proud of you."
Mr. Jackson and Marco walked outside together. The sunshine was not as
bright as the smile on Marco's face!
Name
Date
Saturday, October 15
What Can I Do?
Questions
1. Why was Marco's mother putting food in boxes?
A. She wanted to throw it away.
B. She didn't like the food.
C. She was taking it back to the store.
D. She was taking it to the food bank.
2. How many boxes of food did she take to the food bank?
A. two
B. four
C. one
D. three
3. Why was Marco sad?
A. He couldn't find his puppy.
B. His father had to go on a trip.
C. Sometimes people don't have food.
D. He lost $5.00.
4. Why didn't Marco have a job?
A. No one wanted to hire him.
B. He was too young.
C. He could not read.
D. He was too old.
5. The food bank was on the corner of ______ Street.
A. Poplar
B. Oak
C. Elm
D. Maple
Name
Date
Saturday, October 15
6. How did Marco and his mother get to the food bank?
A. on a plane
B. in a taxi
C. on a bus
D. in a car
7. Who was working at the food bank when Marco and his mother got
there?
A. Marco's best friend
B. Marco's father
C. Mrs. Smith
D. Mr. Jackson
8. How did Marco help at the food bank?
A. He helped put the food away.
B. He did not help.
C. He worked in the community garden.
D. He wiped off the tables.
Name
Date
Sunday, October 16
Meet Utahraptor
By Cindy Grigg
This dinosaur walked on its two hind legs.
It stood about 9 feet tall. It weighed about as
much as a grizzly bear. It had strong jaws. It
had many sharp teeth! It was a meat eater.
Its teeth were not its main weapons. Its
claws were! It had three toes on each foot.
One of the toe claws was much larger than
the other two. That claw was nearly a foot
long. The long claw could be pulled back and flipped forward. The
dinosaur used its claw like a switch blade knife to attack its prey.
It lived about 125 million years ago. Its name came from the place
where its fossils were found. What dinosaur is it? It is Utahraptor
(YOO-tah-RAP-tore).
Meet Utahraptor
Questions
1. Utahraptor was a ______.
A. plant eater
B. huge dinosaur
C. meat eater
2. A simile compares two things using the word "like" or "as." Which of
these is a simile?
A. It stood about 9 feet tall.
B. The dinosaur used its claw like a switch blade knife.
C. Its name came from the place where its fossils were found.
Name
Date
Sunday, October 16
3. Utahraptor was about the same size as a ______.
A. grizzly bear
B. school bus
C. football field
4. When did Utahraptor live?
Name
Date
Sunday, October 16
Lunch for Mom
By Beth Beutler
"C'mon, it's time to fix her lunch," my brother,
Brian, said as he woke me up.
Today, we were making Mom's lunch for her.
It was her first day on a new job. We decided
to surprise her by packing her a lunch. She
always packs great ones for us. She was very
busy getting ready.
"What will we make?" my brother asked.
"Why not try tuna?" I suggested.
"Okay," Brian responded.
My brother mixed the tuna with mayonnaise. I chopped onions to add
flavor. (Mom loves onions!)
I took out a bag of chips. Brian put three carrot sticks in a bag. We wrote a
note that said, "We love you, Mom!"
It didn't take long. That was pretty easy, actually. I did a "thumbs up" to
Brian just as Mom walked down the stairs.
"What are you guys doing?" Mom asked.
"Surprising you! Here's your lunch! Have a great first day."
"Oh, boys, that's great. Thanks for your help!" she said, as she took the bag
from Brian. "I've got to get going. Wish me luck!" She gave us big hugs
and headed out to the car. We grinned. The day was off to a good start.
Name
Date
Sunday, October 16
Lunch for Mom
Questions
1. Brian and his brother made their mom a ______ sandwich.
2. Circle all of the items that were packed in the lunch.
A. tuna sandwich
B. chips
C. milk
D. chocolate chip cookies
E. carrot sticks
3. What is your favorite lunch? Do you ever make it yourself?
4. Why did Brian and his brother pack Mom lunch?
5. How do you think their mom felt about the boys' help?