Douglas Florian

Week 1: In the Swim

Vocabulary
  • spurt: to splash out quickly
  • slimy: slippery and gooey
  • colt: a young male horse
  • regal: magnificent
  1. The frog’s skin has a slimy feel.
  2. My older brother likes to brag about how high he can jump.
  3. A spurt of water came out as I turned on the hose.
  4. The mother horse ran around the corral with her colt.
  5. Lucy’s red velvet cape made her look regal.
Comprehension
  1. The catfish does not wish to be a cat because it is content to be a fish. Pg 6
  2. Some people mistake eels for snakes. Pg 13
  3. Sea horses don’t eat oats. Pg 17
  4. Starfish do not have a brain. Pg 21
  5. Flounders wait at the bottom of the sea on their smooth white side. Pg 25
  6. Sharks do not fear the other fish. Pg 26
  7. The fly fish can soar above a wave. Pg 30
  8. The anglerfish has set a trap with its dangling, fleshy flap. Pg 34
  9. The skinny skate are flat as plates. Pg 37
  10. Jellyfish have tentacles that can paralyze. Pg 41
  11. The tetra is a very small, minute, petite fish. Pg 46

Week 2: Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs

Vocabulary
  • rare: very uncommon
  • roam: to go from place to place
  • prey: animal’s live food
  • dwell: to live or stay
  • oval: a round shape, not a circle
  1. The roasted turkey was served on an oval shaped plate.
  2. The sleeping zebra became the lion’s prey.
  3. At the zoo we saw many rare types of snakes.
  4. Rabbits like to dwell in dark, small burrows.
  5. When we go to the beach, we like to roam and search for shells.
Comprehension
  1. Skinks are lizards that slink through grass. Pg 6
  2. The tortoise is born with a shell. Pg 9
  3. The gecko can climb up walls without falling. Pg 10
  4. The poet does not want to be an iguana because they have spiny tails. Pg 14
  5. The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard on Earth. Pg 18
  6. The Gila monster has poison in his jaws. Pg 24
  7. The python squeezes its prey. Pg 25
  8. Chameleons are able to change color and are hard to find. Pg 26
  9. Polliwogs yearn to turn into a frog. Pg 30
  10. The midwife toad carries eggs on its back. Pg 33
  11. Red-eyed tree frogs hatch from eggs. Pg 41
  12. Under their chins, spring peepers have a thin balloon to sing. Pg 46

Week 3: Mammalabilia

Vocabulary
  • odd: strange or different
  • grace: beauty and elegance
  • trek: to take a journey on foot
  • femur: a leg bone
  • dine: to eat
  1. The ballet dance moved across stage with grace.
  2. During the summer, my uncle is planning to trek across the southwest United States.
  3. The old truck made an odd sound when we tried to start it.
  4. Mike plans to dine with his grandparents on his birthday.
  5. I broke my femur when I fell off my horse.
Comprehension
  1. The Bactrian camel has two humps. Pg 9
  2. Coyotes are famous for their howl. Pg13
  3. The beaver stops streams by building dams. Pg 17
  4. Otters love water. Pg 25
  5. Elephants mostly eat grass. Pg 29
  6. In Madagascar lemurs swing through trees. Pg 34
  7. The giraffe has a double-decker, cloud-checker, star-trekker neck. Pg 37
  8. The hippo swim by day to keep cool and eats grass at night. Pg 38
  9. Boars are closely related to the pig. Pg 41
  10. During the winter bear goes to sleep until spring. Pg 42
  11. Porcupines like to eat bark and leaves. Pg 45
  12. Tigers have fur that is striped. Pg 46

Week 4: Insectlopedia

Vocabulary
  • pupa: an inset in a cocoon
  • dainty: delicate
  • glide: to move very smoothly
  • tip: the very end of something
  • wince: to shrink back
  1. I watched the colorful marble slowly glide across the tabletop.
  2. The caterpillar transformed in a cocoon after eating a bunch of parsley.
  3. Touching the hot iron caused me to wince.
  4. Karen softly touched the baby mouse with the tip of her finger.
  5. My baby sister picked a bouquet of little dainty flowers.
Comprehension
  1. The hungry caterpillar will rest in a pupa becoming a butterfly. Pg 6
  2. Dragonflies eat flies and bees. Pg 9
  3. The praying mantis sits upon a twig. Pg 17
  4. The black widow’s fangs carry venom. Pg 18
  5. The Ioth moth’s spots ward off birds. Pg 21
  6. Whirligig beetles twirl and glide on pond or lake. Pg 22
  7. Wheeils are pests that drill holes in bolls of cotton. Pg 25
  8. The walking stick is an insect that looks like a twig or stalk. Pg 26
  9. Hornets are insects that build a pulpy paper nest. Pg 29
  10. Mosquitos are rude insects that feast on you skin. Pg 33
  11. Crickets make noise by rubbing each wing. Pg 41
  12. The mayfly flies in May or June. Pg 46

Week 5: On the Wing

Vocabulary
  • hue: color
  • hover: to float above
  • mimic: to copy or imitate
  • huddle: to stand close together
  • crimson: dark red
  1. The tropical fish were a vibrant hue of green.
  2. On cold nights, we huddle close together.
  3. We watched the hummingbird hover over a flower.
  4. For fun, the twins often mimic each others movements.
  5. The ripe cherries were a crimson color.
Comprehension
  1. The dippers are birds that are able to swim. Pg 10
  2. Frigate birds are able to inflate their red chest. Pg 13
  3. Hummingbirds are the size of a thumb. Pg 14
  4. Roadrunners like to eat toads. Pg 21
  5. The hill mynah can talk and sing. Pg 25
  6. Royal spoonbills have noses shaped like a spoon. Pg 26
  7. Emperor penguins gather on ice packs. Pg 33
  8. The hawk’s eyes are keen and mean. Pg 34
  9. The weavers build spacious nests using twigs and leaves. Pg 41
  10. The stork has a bill as sharp as a knife or fork. Pg 42
  11. The nightjar likes to hunt insects during the night. Pg 46