Peculiar Rainforest Creatures: Sloths

         Sloths are found in the rain forests of Central and South America. These animals are arboreal, meaning that they spend most of their lives on trees. They only get down to the ground once a week to urinate or have bowel movements and always go in the same spot. Sloths are known for being sluggish. Some scientists believe that this is their way of not being noticed by predators in the wild. Since they are slow paced animals, when confronted with a predator all they do is hiss, shriek, or bite. They cannot run. Sloths sleep from 10-20 hours a day. No wonder why algae grows on their fur! 

       There are 2 types of sloths. The two-toed sloths and the three-toed sloths. The two-toed sloths like to hang upside down most of the time where as the three-toed sloths don't. The three-toed sloths can turn their heads almost at a 360 degree angle. 

      Many people think that sloths are related to monkeys. This is a myth. Sloths are actually related to armadillos and anteaters. This may explain their long claws like armadillos. 

Definitions

arboreal - animals that live on trees.

sluggish - to move very slowly.

predators - an animal that naturally preys on others.

confronted - face to face with hostile intent.

algae - a plant-like film that grows on things.

myth - a widely held but false belief or idea.

Antonyms

An antonym is a word that is the opposite of another. Ex: happy- sad.

Directions:  Write an antonym for each word below. 

1. sluggish- __________

2. giant- ____________

3. shy- _____________

4. alone- ___________

Platypus

      The platypus is a unique creature only found in Australia. Platypuses live in freshwater rivers and lakes. These animals spend their days on both land and water. They have webbed feet which helps them swim and claws that helps them dig on the ground. Male platypus' have hollow spurs behind each hind leg which is connected to a venom gland. There is suggestion that the males use these spurs to help them from predators, but there hasn't been any studies to justify this. 

      Although they love to swim in the water, they cannot breathe under water. They often come up above the water and breathe air through its nostrils located on top of its bill. A bill is a hard beak like a mouth. Platypuses dig long burrows by the body of water where they live and at the end is their sleeping chamber. These borrows can be from 20-50 feet long! Female platypuses lay eggs inside their sleeping chamber and once they hatch, she feeds its young with milk from her body. The milk the mother produces comes through pores on her stomach. This process makes it easy for their babies to lick the mother's stomach for feeding. 

     Platypuses are interesting animals that are difficult to sight because they like to live in quiet secluded areas of Australia. 

Definitions

unique - to be different from the rest.

hollow - to have a hole or empty space inside.

spurs - something with a small spike.

venom - a poisonous substance through biting or stinging.

predators - an animal that naturally preys on others.

burrows - a hole or tunnel dug by a small animal.

chamber- a large space. 

secluded - not seen or visited by many people. 

Synonyms

Synonym is a word that means exactly the same as another word. Ex: unique=different.   

Directions:  There are synonym pairs that are mixed up. Match up the synonyms that belong together.

unique                       enormous

small                          weird

thin                            different

                      

big                             tiny

unusual                       narrow

Whales

               Whales are large sea animals. They live in the ocean along with other sea creatures. Whales have enormous bodies that are shaped like fishes, but they are not fishes. Whales are mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals that carry their babies in their bodies. Then after their babies are born, the mother mammal feeds their young with milk that comes from the mother's body. Just like humans, baby whales drink milk too. 

                Before a humpback baby whale is born, its carried by its mother inside her body for almost a full year! All summer this mother whale swam in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean while her baby grew inside her body. Towards the end of the summer, the cold water began to freeze. So the whales swam south to warmer ocean waters. 

               After the baby humpback whale was born, the mother would make sure that he would stay near her. This is why baby whales usually swim right by their mother's fin, because the mother's fin can help them navigate and stay close to them. Just like humans, whales need to breathe fresh air. They do this through 2 breathing holes at the top of their heads. These 2 breathing holes are called blowholes. Sometimes people have seen whales spray shooting water from their blowholes. This is called sprouting. Some sprouts shoot as high as 25 feet into the air! 

              Although these mammals may be gigantic creatures, they have some similarities with us.   

Definitions

enormous- description of something big.

mammals- warm-blooded animal that nourishes their young with their own milk.

fin- a part of an animal that is usually located at the end of its body. 

blowhole- a breathing hole animals have to breathe out of. 

sprouting-  when whales blow out old air from its lungs. 

gigantic- description of a huge size of something. 

Past Tense Verbs

Past tense verbs are verbs that describes an action done in the past. Ex: to eat, ate. 

Directions: There is a past tense verb in each sentence. Fill in the blank of each past tense verb and write its original present tense verb. 

1.  All summer this mother whale swam in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean.

_______________    ______________

2. Her baby grew inside her body.

_________     ____________

3. The cold water began to freeze.

________       _________

4. The baby humpback whale was born.

________      __________

Bat Myths: Revealed!

      There are so many misconceptions about bats. As you read along, you will realize that there are many myths about bats. Now to set the story straight! 

       Myth: Many believe that bats are blind and cannot see. Wrong! Bats actually have great eye sight, in fact, some bats use their sense of sight for hunting. 

       Myth: When bats are flying by people, they usually get tangled in people's hair. Wrong! It is unlikely that this can happen because bats have very sharp senses and use echolocation effectively to navigate while flying. They can avoid obstacles this way. 

       Myth: Bats are not important animals on Earth. Wrong! Just like bees, bats are pollinators. They are known to disperse seeds all around the Earth and help many different plant species to grow all year round. Since their main food source are insects, this is a natural way they control bugs that eat away certain crops or plants. Long live the bats!

       Myth: Vampire bats like to suck people's blood. Wrong! These particular bats called "vampire bats" are known to suck blood but only off of cattle, not humans.  

Fun Fact: Did you know that bats are the only mammals that can fly? 

Definitions

misconception- a view or opinion that is incorrect based on faulty thinking.

echolocation- sound reflections animals use to determine location. 

obstacles-  something that blocks one's way. 

mammal- warm-blooded animal that nourishes their young with their own milk.

blind- to be unable to see.

tangled- when something is twisted together.

myth- a widely held but false belief or idea.

disperse- to spread out in a wide area of space.

pollinator- an animal or insect that helps with the pollination process in nature. 

Nouns are: a person, place, thing, animal, or idea. 

There are many nouns throughout the reading. Let's see if you can find some in this fun word search: 

Click below

https://www.worksheetworks.com/pdf/_dr/ecqf/WorksheetWorks_Word_Search_2.pdf

Interesting Facts About Raccoons

        

        Have you ever come across a furry animal that has a long striped, black and gray tail with black circles around its eyes? Did you ever wonder why you usually only see them at night and almost never during the daylight? Well, this animal is called a raccoon and it is very unique in many ways. 

       Raccoons are nocturnal animals and are known for picking neighborhood garbage at night. Most people may say that they are pests but if we look at it from an animal view, they are just trying to survive day by day. Raccoons have small, nimble, human-like fingers. Their fingers make it easier for them to open up garbage bins or even open latches on gates. They are also known for making weird noises like growling, hissing, purring, etc. In fact, Scientist studies have shown that they have over 51 different vocalization sounds! 

Raccoons are considered to be omnivores. Omnivores are animals that eat both plants and other animals. These furry creatures may look cute and approachable, but be careful! These animals are known to carry rabies in their bodies. Rabies can make an animal act delirious and aggressive, including humans if bitten by an animal with rabies. During mating season, female raccoons are known for being destructive and aggressive. Therefore, it is important to stay away from raccoons and at a distance. So if you ever see a raccoon, remember to be cautious and do not try and pet them!

Definitions from the text

omnivores- are animals that eat both plants and other animals. 

rabies- is a disease of dogs and other mammals that can transmit through saliva if bitten by any animal that's infected.

vocalization- is a process by which sounds are made.

destructive-  is to cause great harm or damage to something.

aggressive- is to be ready or likely to attack.

nimble- is to be quick, light, or limber.

nocturnal- to be active and awake at night and rest during the day.

pest- is an animal of annoyance that creates problems. 

delirious- is to act in a disturbed state of mind often from illness. 

cautious- is to be careful. 

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describes a noun in a sentence. An adjective can be a color, shape, or age as well. 

Directions: Using the adjectives from the text, fill in the blanks to it's corresponding description of it's noun. 

1. Rabies can make an animal act ____________ and ____________. 

2. These _______ creatures can be dangerous. 

3.  Raccoons have long, striped _______ and _____ tails.

4. Raccoons have _______, ________, human-like fingers.

5. Female raccoons are known for being ___________ during mating season.

What Do Animals Do When They Hibernate?

There are some animals that go under a long rest when the winter comes. This long rest is called hibernation. The animals that do this are called hibernating animals. A few hibernating animals are: bears, bees, snakes, bats, and groundhogs. When an animal hibernates, their body goes through some changes in order to survive all winter. Their temperature drops and their breathing rate slows down. This helps the body maintain energy throughout all of the winter.

These animals go through a process of things they need to do before the winter comes. Some of these things are to look for a perfect, safe spot in the wild to hibernate. Like for example, a groundhog digs under the ground to hibernate or bats find a cozy cave for the winter. Some birds migrate in groups to a warmer climate right before the winter comes. Hibernating animals also gather up and eat more food so that their bodies have enough to last them all winter. Hibernation isn't just sleeping for months until spring. It takes a lot of work for these animals to do things before it is their time to hibernate and survive.

Hibernation- is a long rest that some animals do during the winter.
Survive- this process is necessary to be able to live and maintain it's life.
Energy- is an action that all living things need in order to maintain life.
Migrate- is an action when a living thing moves to another location to survive.
Cozy- a warm feeling when comfortable. Sometimes, homes can feel cozy.
Climate- it is often associated with the location's weather and temperature.


Identifying verbs activity

A verb is an action that describes what the noun in the sentence is doing.
Ex: A long rest is called hibernation.  Is= verb       rest= noun

Directions: Identify the verb in each sentence below.
1. Some animals hibernate in the winter.
2. Groundhogs dig under the ground.
3. Bats look for caves.
4. Bears sleep in the winter.
5. Animals know how to survive.

To Inspire or Be Inspired?

Whether you're a college student and made the decision to choose the field of education, or if you already chose a path but changed fields and now you are going into education as a new change. We all come into it for the sole purpose to educate and inspire others. See, when you go into it with an open heart and open mind, sometimes we fail to even realize how much our students can inspire us in return.

My first teaching experience was working with unaccompanied minors who are refugees. Each of these children had their own story or trauma. They were mainly from Central America who fled their countries for a better life in the U.S. At first, I pitied them. Then after more time went by I realized that pity was not making them stronger, so I took a different approach and gave them faith. Faith that despite their situations, they would succeed academically. The moment I started believing in them, they started to believe in themselves. Over time, their grades got better in every subject and they even smiled and laughed more often. I even had this one student, who when he first came to me, he only spoke his country's dialect. Then as time surpassed he knew more English than Spanish!

Like every story, there came an end. I was offered a better job opportunity closer to my home. The day that I had to tell them made me realize how much I loved and cared about them. This is when I realized that not only did I inspire them, but they left an imprint in my heart as well forever. They inspired me as well. As a teacher, you will have many students, but you will never forget your first class. You will never forget those who inspire you to be a better person.

Definitions

inspire - fill the urge to do or feel something.

sole - spiritual aspect of a human.

fail - to be unsuccessful in achieving a goal.

trauma - a disturbing experience.

pity - to feel bad for someone or something.

succeed - to achieve a goal that was planned. 

Prepositions

A preposition is a part of speech that adds more detail in a sentence and sometimes necessary to describe a thought. Example sentence: After several minutes we located the key for the door. 

"After several minutes" the word "after" is the preposition, and "minutes" is the object of the preposition. In the part "for the door", the word "for" is the preposition and "door" is the object of the preposition.

Directions:  Write the prepositional word in each blank for each sentence below.

1. They fled their countries for a better life. 

______________

2. We all go into education for different reasons. 

______________

3. Their grades got better in every subject. 

______________