Best Friends: The True Story of Owen and Mzee

Transcription

1 UNIT Best Friends: The True Story of THEME Animals, Tame and Wild Hippos and people are both mammals. In this book, children will read about a hippo that becomes friends with a tortoise. This book will help them explore the Big Question: How are people and animals important to one another? This book will help build children s understanding of the habitat and life cycle of hippos. Expository nonfiction tells about real people, places, animals, and events. These books often have pictures and other graphic sources. SUMMARY by Roberta Edwards Owen, a one-year old hippo, gets separated from his hippo family. He is taken to a special zoo to be cared for and becomes friends with a 30-year-old tortoise named Mzee. Other Books by Roberta Edwards Emperor Penguins Flight of the Butterflies Space Kid SNEAK PREVIEW Match Children and Books This book will appeal to children who like to learn about animals and their habitats enjoy nonfiction like to read about animal friendships Comprehension Skills and Strategies prior knowledge graphic sources monitor and clarify critical thinking Vocabulary Strategy categorize words

2 Practice 4 Practice 5 How to Use the Book Children may work independently, as partners, or in a small group. Before Reading BUILD BACKGROUND Talk with children about the various animals that live in Africa, such as hippos, snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, monkeys, and lizards. Ask children to share what they know about any of these animals. Ask: Have you ever been to a zoo and seen these animals? What were they like? Explain that hippos and tortoises live near water but do not usually live together. Tell children that sometimes, when animals cannot take care of themselves, they might go to a special zoo to get the care they need. Then take children on a picture walk through Best Friends: The True Story of Own and Mzee, encouraging them to describe the various animals and habitats that they see. Children can use Student Practice 4 to draw hippos, tortoises, crocodiles, and other animals that live in areas of Africa. INTRODUCE VOCABULARY Use Student Practice 5 to introduce vocabulary or to assess children s understanding of the words before they read. If necessary, provide additional practice with the words. For example, ask children to say or write a new sentence for each word. Words to Know enemies mammals reptile tortoise UNIT Reading the Book Practice 6 COMPREHENSION SKILL Graphic Sources On Student Practice 6, children answer questions about graphic sources. Review with children what they have learned about graphic sources. Pictures help us understand what a thing or a place is like. Maps help us know where something is. COMPREHENSION STRATEGY Monitor and Clarify Remind children that good readers often ask themselves questions as they read, such as What is the author trying to tell us? and Does this make sense? Good readers read the story again if they can t answer these questions. 2

3 Reader Response See Teacher s Guide 6 for a possible response to the question, What animals from have you seen in real life, on TV, or in pictures? After Reading COMPREHENSION CHECK. What can we learn about animals from the pictures in Best Friends: The True Story of? Lots of different animals live in Africa. Hippos like to roll in the mud. Hippos have some enemies. ( Graphic Sources) 2. What does the map of Africa show us about? The map of Africa shows us where live. ( Graphic Sources) 3. What animals in the story are reptiles? Tortoises, crocodiles, snakes, and lizards are all reptiles. (Facts and Details) 4. Why do hippos roll in mud? The mud helps them keep cool in the hot weather and it also gets rid of bugs. (Cause and Effect) UNIT 5. What happened after the storm ended? Owen was the only hippo left. Then a man caught Owen so Owen could get the help he needed. (Sequence) 6. Where was Owen taken? Owen was taken to a special zoo called Haller Park. (Facts and Details) Practice 7 CRITICAL THINKING. Why do you think Mzee wasn t friends with any of the other animals? Mzee was so old that he wanted to be left alone. (Inferring) 2. What would be exciting about visiting Africa? What would you not enjoy? Possible response: It would be exciting to see the hippos, monkeys, snakes, crocodiles, and all of the other animals. I might be afraid of some of the animals! (Evaluating) ASSESSMENT Use the Selection Test on Student Practice 7 to assess children s understanding of the book. See Teacher s Guide 7 for answers. 3

4 What Lives in Africa? Build Background Draw some of the animals that live on this large continent. Drawings will vary. 4 Build Background

5 Words to Know Vocabulary Choose the word that names the picture. Write it on the line. Use all the words. enemies, mammals, reptile, tortoise. 2. tortoise enemies 3. mammals 44_042e Ham 4. reptile 5. Words that tell about the same idea can be grouped together. Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and tortoises are all reptiles. Which pictures on this page are of mammals? Possible response: hippo, dog, father, child 5 Vocabulary

6 Why Does an Author Use Pictures and Maps? Graphic Sources Pictures are graphic sources that help us understand what a thing or a place is like. Maps are graphic sources that can help us know where something is. Answer the questions.. Why does the author of Owen and Mzee use pictures and a map? to help us understand a real story to tell a pretend story 2. What does the map on page 4 show? It shows where live. 3. What do the pictures on pages 20 2 tell us about how people caught Owen? They used a net to catch Owen. Reader Response Text to Self 4. What animals from Owen and Mzee have you seen in real life, on TV, or in pictures? Answers will vary. 6 Comprehension

7 Selection Test Mark the space to answer the question. Assessment. Are hippos mammals or reptiles? mammals reptiles 2. Which animal is an enemy of a hippo? a monkey a lion a bushbuck 3. What was used to help catch Owen after the storm? a boat a fishing pole a net 4. Why did Owen hide behind Mzee? He was scared. He was looking for food. He wanted to swim. 5. Why does the author include a map in the book? to show where live to show how warm Africa is to show what hippos and tortoises eat 7 Assessment