1. pets
2. reptiles

NGEXPLORER.CENGAGE.COM
password: explorer
April 2015
© Inaki Relanzon/naturepl.com
Explorer
TEACHER’S GUIDE—GRADE 1
You’ve asked and we’ve listened to your requests for grade
specific editions of National Geographic Young Explorer
magazines. You can now order an edition of Young Explorer that is
written specifically for your students. You’ll find information about
the new Young Explorer in this month’s wrap. Why wait? Order
today and keep your students learning and exploring.
Order the edition that’s right for your students!
They look the same, but each carries grade-specific
content written on grade level.
Scout Edition for Kindergarten Voyager Edition for Grade 1
I use my lights to find things in caves.
I find a salamander. It walks by my feet.
I shine a light on a cricket. It hops away.
cricket
salamander
dripstone
I shine my lights above my head. I find
stones made by dripping water. My lights
help me see what’s in dark caves.
22
23
Lots of Lemurs: Overview
Summary
Materials Needed
• Lemurs are primates that live in Madagascar. There
are many kinds of lemurs. Lemurs are different sizes
and colors. Some act in different ways, too.
•N
ational Geographic video "Ring-Tailed Lemur"
at: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/lemur_
ringtailed
• FusionTheme "Facts About Lemurs" site at: http://www.
Curriculum in This Article
lemurworld.com
• "Lots of Lemurs" board game
Common Core State Standards
• small objects to use as playing pieces
• Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text. (RI.1.1)
• With guidance and support from adults, recall
information from experiences or gather information
from provided sources to answer a question. (W.1.8)
• the site for the movie "Island of Lemurs Madagascar"
at: http://islandoflemurs.imax.com/site.html
• National Geographic video "World's Smallest Pets:
Tiniest Dog—Lucy" at: http://video.nationalgeographic.
com/wild/tiniest-dog-lucy
• Read words with inflectional endings. (RFS.1.3.f )
• Use frequently occurring affixes as a clue to the
meaning of a word. (L.1.4.b)
Additional Resources
Next Generation Science Standards
• Disciplinary Core Idea: Variation of Traits—
Individuals of the same kind of plant or animal are
recognizable as similar but can also vary in many
ways.
•L
earn more about the ring-tailed lemur:
▶ h ttp://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/ring-tailedlemur/
• Lean more about lots of different lemurs:
▶ http://lemur.duke.edu/discover/meet-the-lemurs/
• Learn more about Madagascar:
▶ h ttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/09/
madagascar/madagascar-map
To access the projectable edition of this
article, go to the For Teachers tab for this
magazine at: ngexplorer.cengage.com.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T1
e-
edition
web
April 2015
Lots of Lemurs: Background
Fast Facts
• Lemurs are small primates. Wild lemurs are only
found on the African island of Madagascar and a
few neighboring islands. Although Madagascar is
small, its geography is diverse. Lemurs live in niche
environments ranging from tropical rain forests to
semi-arid deserts.
• S cientists think that a lemur-like ancestor may have
rafted over to Madagascar from Africa about 60 million
years ago.
• I n some lemur species, the males are different colors
than the females.
• Most lemurs have faces that look like a mouse or a
fox. They have large, prominent eyes, and many have a
snout featuring a wet, hairless nose.
• A lemur's body resembles that of a monkey. Lemurs
have long hind limbs. Coloring varies by species, but
the most common colors are white, gray, black, brown,
and reddish brown.
•A
lemur's tail is often longer than its body. The largest
lemur, the indri, just has a short stub.
•A
baby lemur clings to the fur on its mother's stomach
or back. Until the baby is strong enough to hang on, the
mother carries the baby lemur in her mouth.
• Like all primates, lemurs have fingers and toes with flat
nails rather than claws. They use their hands and feet
to move through trees. Unlike monkeys, their primate
cousins, lemurs can't grip with their tails.
• The largest lemur, the indri, weighs 7 to 10 kg (15.5 to
22 pounds) and can grow to between 60 to 90 cm (24 to
35 inches) long. The smallest, Madam Berthe's mouse
lemur, weighs 30 grams (1 ounce) and is 9 to 11 cm
(3.5 to 4 inches) long.
• Although lemurs do occasionally eat insects, they
are primarily vegetarians. They eat a variety of fruits,
vegetables, leaves, and flowers. Some species have
specialized diets. Bamboo lemurs, for instance, only eat
bamboo.
• Lemurs don't have great vision so they rely on their
sense of smell to communicate with other animals.
They use special scent glands on their wrists and
bottoms to leave scent trails marking their territories.
• Although lemurs are extremely well adapted to
their environment, they are rapidly losing habitat to
agriculture and logging. More than 80% of the natural
habitat on Madagascar has already been destroyed.
• There are more than 100 species of lemurs. However,
because they are only found on Madagascar and their
habitat is disappearing, lemurs are considered to be the
world's most endangered group of mammals.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T2
April 2015
Lots of Lemurs: Prepare to Read and Science
Activate Prior Knowledge
Play the Lots of Lemurs Board Game
What Is a Lemur?
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, prepare the board
game cards and number cube for the "Lots of Lemurs"
game. Gather small objects for playing pieces.
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, download the
National Geographic video "Ring-Tailed Lemur"
at: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/lemur_
2. D
isplay the "Lots of Lemur" board game cards.
ringtailed
2. D
isplay the video. Challenge students to identify the
animal it features. (lemur) Invite students to share
what they know about lemurs. Then instruct the class
to leaf through the images in the article. Can they spot
the lemur from the video? Ask: Why doesn't it look like
all of the other lemurs you see? Encourage students to
share their ideas.
Extend Science
Saving the Lemurs of Madagascar
Explore Science
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, visit the site for
Looking at Lemurs
1. I nstruct the class to take a closer look at the images
of lemurs in the article. Based on what they see, ask
students how they would recognize each of these
animals as a lemur. Invite students to offer examples.
Explain that what they just described are traits, or
characteristics, of lemurs.
2. G
ive each student a copy of the
Activity Master. Divide the class
into small groups.
3. P
oint out the three categories on
Challenge students to find each lemur in the article
and identify distinctive features that helped them
select the correct one. Encourage them to share what
they know about each lemur. Then review the rules
as a class and invite students to play the game in
small groups.
the movie "Island of Lemurs Madagascar" at: http://
islandoflemurs.imax.com/site.html. Click on the "Video"
tab to access the movie's trailer.
2. D
isplay the trailer for the class. Encourage students to
share their thoughts on lemurs and where they live.
3. R
eplay the video starting at the one-minute mark.
Point out to students that lemurs are now one of the
most endangered species on Earth. Explain what that
means.
4. Guide students to recognize that human actions—not
the Activity Master: size, color,
acts. Instruct groups to read
the sentences on the Activity
Master and search the article for
Activity Master,
information about their mentioned.
page T5
Challenge them to select the correct
word from the box to complete each sentence.
natural causes—caused this to happen. However,
people like the scientists in the trailer are working
hard to save lemurs. Encourage students to identify
things they could do to help lemurs and other
endangered species around the world.
4. R
ejoin as a class to examine the results. Encourage
students to note more ways that lemurs are alike and
different.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T3
April 2015
Lots of Lemurs: Language Arts
Explore Reading
Explore Foundational Skills
1. D
isplay pages 2-3 of the projectable edition. Read the
1. E
xplain to students that often people add one or
Asking Questions About Lemurs
Investigating Inflectional Endings
headline aloud. Invite students to describe the lemurs
they see.
2. Th
en display pages 4-5. Invite volunteers to read the
text aloud. Point out that the article is called "Lots of
Lemurs." Ask: Based on these pages, what do you think
you'll learn about lemurs as we read this article? Invite
a volunteer to highlight the three words that tell what
the article is about. (sizes, colors, acts)
3. B
rainstorm with students to create a list of questions
about lemur sizes, colors, and acts. Then read the
article as a class.
questions they had before reading. Which questions
did the words in the article answer? Which questions
did the pictures answer? Did the article tell them
anything that they hadn't thought to ask?
5. G
uide students as they use their questions and answers
to recognize the most important point in the article:
There are many kinds of lemurs, and they're all
different.
scan the article and make a list of nouns that mean
"more than one."
recognize that, in each example, only an -s is tacked
onto the word. Inform students that you add -es to
words that end in -ch, -sh, -ss, -x, and -z. To examine
these words, instruct students to look at the images
on pages 4-5. Ask: Where are these lemurs sitting?
(on branches) What are the images inside? (boxes)
Challenge students to offer examples of their own.
1. I nvite students to scan the images of lemurs in their
magazines. Then display pages 6-7 of the projectable
edition. Ask: What makes these two lemurs different
from all other lemurs?
1. Download the National Geographic video "World's
Smallest Pets: Tiniest Dog—Lucy" at: http://video.
nationalgeographic.com/wild/tiniest-dog-lucy
2. E
ncourage students to offer their ideas. If necessary,
have different sizes, colors, and acts because they are
different types of lemurs. Invite students to identify
other groups of animals that have members with
different sizes, colors, and acts.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
3. D
ivide the class into small groups. Invite groups to
Using -est to Understand Lemurs
How Do Animals Compare?
colors, and acts like other dogs you know? How are
they different? Challenge students to write complete
answers to each question.
a volunteer to highlight the two words that follow
this pattern. (lots, lemurs) Analyze how adding an -s
changes the meaning of each.
Explore Language
Explore Writing
3. Then display the video. Ask: How are Lucy's size,
2. D
isplay pages 2-3 of the projectable edition. Invite
4. R
ejoin as a class to compare lists. Guide students to
4. A
fter reading, tell students to think about the
2. Explain to students that the lemurs in the article
more letters to the end of a word to give it a different
meaning. Two examples of this are -s and -es. Adding
these letters to a noun makes it mean "more than one."
guide them to notice the words largest and smallest in
the text. Remind students that -est is a suffix that helps
them make comparisons. To illustrate what it means,
write the following sentences on the board:
▶ Indris are the largest lemurs.
▶ Indris are larger than mouse lemurs.
3. A
nalyze the sentences with the class. Guide students
to recognize that the suffix -er means "more than" and
-est means "most." Encourage students to think of
creative ways to add these suffixes to words so they get
a better understanding of different kinds of lemurs and
their traits.
Page T4
April 2015
Lots of Lemurs
Name:
Activity Master
Looking at Lemurs
Select the correct word from the box to complete each sentence.
Write the word on the line.
largest
hop
gray
white
sing
black
Size
smallest
The indri is the ________________________________________________ lemur.
The mouse lemur is the ________________________________________lemur.
Bamboo lemurs are ________________________________________________ .
Ring-tailed lemurs have ______________________________________and
______________________________________ tails.
Acts
Indris_____________________________________________________loud songs.
Sifakas___________________________________________on their strong legs.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T5
April 2015
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Color
Lots of Lemurs
Assessment
Name:
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. How do all lemurs look alike?
A They all have stripes.
B They all have long tails.
C They all have fur.
2. How do sifakas act different from other lemurs?
A They climb trees.
B They crawl into holes.
C They hop on the ground.
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. How are indris different from other lemurs?
A They're bigger.
B They're smaller.
C They're faster.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T6
April 2015
Lots of Lemurs
Activity Master
Name:
Answer Key
Looking at Lemurs
Select the correct word from the box to complete each sentence.
Write the word on the line.
largest
hop
gray
white
sing
black
Size
smallest
largest
The indri is the ________________________________________________
lemur.
smallest
The mouse lemur is the ________________________________________lemur.
gray
Bamboo lemurs are ________________________________________________
.
black
Ring-tailed lemurs have ______________________________________and
white
______________________________________
tails.
Acts
sing
Indris_____________________________________________________loud songs.
hop
Sifakas___________________________________________on
their strong legs.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T5
T5A
April 2015
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Color
Lots of Lemurs
Assessment
Name:
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. How do all lemurs look alike?
A They all have stripes.
B They all have long tails.
C They all have fur.
2. How do sifakas act different from other lemurs?
A They climb trees.
B They crawl into holes.
C They hop on the ground.
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. How are indris different from other lemurs?
A They're bigger.
B They're smaller.
C They're faster.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T6A
April 2015
Busy Butterflies: Overview
Summary
Materials Needed
• Butterflies need sun, shelter, food, and water to live.
They fly to places where they get what they need.
• the San Diego Zoo's Animal Habitats site at: http://
• People plant gardens for butterflies. Butterflies can
get things they need to live in a garden.
• straws
Curriculum in This Article
• cups of water
Common Core State Standards
• Ask and answer questions to help determine or
clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
(RI.1.4)
• Write narratives in which they recount two or
more appropriately sequenced events, include some
details regarding what happened, use temporal
words to signal event order, and provide some sense
of closure. (W.1.3)
• Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
(RFS.1.4.1)
animals.sandiegozoo.org/habitats
• plastic forks
• t he National Geographic Kids video on monarch
butterflies at: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos?
videoGuid=aXD5vz8neEWGD0dBe4rk6d0oyOOb_9AX
• s entence strips
• index cards
• a bag
Additional Resources
• Learn more about the monarch butterfly:
▶ h ttp://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/monarchbutterfly/
• Use frequently occurring conjunctions. (L.1.1.g)
• Introduce students to a variety of other butterflies:
▶ h ttp://www.cambridgebutterfly.com/conservatory/
Next Generation Science Standards
• Disciplinary Core Idea: Natural Resources—Living
things need water, air, and resources from the land,
and they live in places that have the things they
need. Humans use natural resources for everything
they do.
butterflies/guide-to-butterflies-in-the-conservatory
To access the projectable edition of this
article, go to the For Teachers tab for this
magazine at: ngexplorer.cengage.com.
Go to the For Teachers tab at ngexplorer.
cengage.com to access the free interactive
whiteboard lesson for this article.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T7
e-
edition
web
e-
edition
April 2015
web
Busy Butterflies: Background
Fast Facts
• Butterflies are flying insects. Like all insects, they have
an exoskeleton rather than a backbone. They have six
legs, two antennae, and three main body parts: the
head, thorax, and abdomen.
• Butterflies go through a metamorphosis, or complete
change of shape, as they grow. During a butterfly's life
cycle, it changes from an egg to a larva, pupa, and adult.
Only the adult has wings.
• Butterflies need food, water, and shelter to survive.
Their food is nectar from flowers. They don't eat the
nectar. They drink it through their straw-like tongues.
They drink water this same way.
• Butterflies live on all continents except Antarctica. They
live in all types of habitats, such as rain forests, deserts,
wetlands, grasslands, deciduous forests, and high in the
mountains.
• On
average, butterflies live between 2-10 months. Some
species live only a few days. Others can survive up to
six months.
•B
utterflies and caterpillars are picky about what they
eat. Over thousands of years, they have evolved to eat
different plants. This prevents them from competing for
the same food.
•M
onarchs are large butterflies with orange, black,
and white markings. North American monarchs are
known for their long migration. Every fall, they fly
from Canada and the United States until they reach
Southern California or central Mexico. Monarchs eat a
plant called milkweed. It is their only food source in the
caterpillar stage.
• Some butterfly species can only survive in very specific
habitats. Others can live just about anywhere. Many
butterfly species migrate to avoid harsh conditions that
would threaten their survival.
• Many people plant gardens to attract butterflies. A
successful garden requires careful planning. Different
butterfly species are attracted to different plants. In
addition, a butterfly garden must contain flowers that
produce nectar and plants with plenty of edible food for
caterpillars.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T8
April 2015
Busy Butterflies: Prepare to Read and Science
Activate Prior Knowledge
Understanding Butterflies
How Butterflies Get Food
1. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition. Zoom
1. T
o conduct this activity, you will need straws,
in on the headline and invite a volunteer to read it
aloud. Brainstorm ideas with the class about why
butterflies might be busy.
2. A
s you give each student a cup of water, tell
2. Z
oom out to show the full image. Invite a volunteer
to read the text aloud. Challenge students to identify
what butterflies need. (food, water, air, shelter, heat
from the sun) Brainstorm ideas about why they might
have to fly places to get these things.
Explore Science
students to imagine that they are all butterflies and
you just invited them to dinner. Select helpers to
give each student a fork and a straw.
3. I nstruct students to put their tools in their cups of
water. Then remind the class that butterflies don't
have hands, so the rest of the meal is hand's off.
Invite the class to enjoy the meal.
4. W
hen all students have finished, discuss the results.
Butterflies Get What They Need
Did they use the fork or the straw to get their food?
Why?
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, download the San
Diego Zoo's Animal Habitats site at: http://animals.
5. C
hallenge students to find the photo in the article
sandiegozoo.org/habitats
2. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition. Remind
students of the things butterflies need to live: food,
water, air, shelter, and heat from the sun. Point out that
all animals need these same things to survive.
3. D
isplay the zoo site and click on the link to the desert
habitat. Encourage students to describe what they see
and identify animals that might live here. Take a class
poll to see how many students think butterflies could
survive in a desert. Then click the "View Animals"
link. Observe the animals in the habitat. Challenge
students to find the butterfly.
4. R
epeat this exercise as you review the other nine
habitats. After visiting the tundra, point out to the
class that butterflies live in each of these places.
Although the environments are very different, each
one gives butterflies what they need to live.
that shows how butterflies get their food. Discuss
reasons why this is a good solution for an insect
that doesn't have hands and must drink its meals.
Extend Science
When Food and Shelter Disappear
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, download the
National Geographic Kids video about monarch
butterflies at: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos
?videoGuid=aXD5vz8neEWGD0dBe4rk6d0oyOOb_9AX
2. D
isplay the images from the projectable edition one
at a time. Encourage students to comment on the
butterfly's surroundings. Discuss how the butterfly
could get food, water, air, shelter, and heat from the
sun in each situation.
3. T
hen display the video. Invite students to share
5. C
lick on the butterfly icon. Review the information to
find out more about butterflies and how they get what
they need to live.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
plastic forks, and cups of water.
what else they learned about butterflies.
4. P
oint out to students that Monarch butterflies
are in trouble. The places that have the food and
shelter they need are disappearing. Based on what
they saw in the video, challenge students to identify
ways they can help monarch butterflies survive.
Page T9
April 2015
Busy Butterflies: Language Arts
Explore Reading
Explore Foundational Skills
1. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition.
1. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition.
Become a Word Detective
Read With Purpose and Understanding
Highlight the word fly. Ask students what it means.
Point out that fly has more than one definition. (the
insect) How can they know which meaning is correct?
2. E
xplain to students that as they read, they will see
many words that they aren't sure about. Words may
have multiple meanings, be new words, or just have a
strange spelling. To understand these words, readers
must ask and answer questions about the words. Use
the word fly on page 10 to illustrate how to do this.
3. R
ead the article as a class. As you do, encourage
students to identify any words they think are
confusing. Stop to ask and answer questions to help
the class clarify the meaning of each confusing word.
Explore Writing
2. I nform students that writers write for different
reasons. They may want to inform or tell, persuade,
or entertain. Ask: What was the writer's purpose
when writing this article? (to tell) About what? (what
butterflies need and where they get those things) Point
out that the reader's job is to understand those things.
2. D
ivide the class into small groups. Instruct students to
read the article in their groups. As they do, challenge
them to underline in their magazines information that
tells what butterflies need and where they get it.
4. R
ejoin as a class. Invite volunteers to highlight on
Write About a Butterfly's Day
the projectable edition information that proves they
understood key concepts in the article.
1. C
reate the following sentence strips:
▶ The butterfly flies to get what it needs.
▶ The butterfly gets heat from the sun.
he butterfly gets shelter from plants and food
▶T
from flowers.
he butterfly gets salt and other things from
▶T
water and wet dirt.
▶ The butterfly gets all that it needs in a garden.
Explore Language
Build Sentences With Conjunctions
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, write the words and,
but, or, so, and because on several index cards each.
Put the cards in a bag.
2. S cramble the sentence strips and put them on the
board. Point out that right now these sentences are just
a list of random events. However, anyone who read the
article knows the sentences tell about the butterfly's
day. Challenge volunteers to arrange the strips to show
the order of events in the article.
3. G
ive each student a copy of the
Activity Master. Instruct students
to draw pictures and write a story
telling about the butterfly's day.
Instruct them to include time words
such as first, next, then, and finally
to make it clear when each event
occurred.
Add two notes, and write purpose on one and
understanding on the other. Discuss the words with
students. Guide them to recognize that a purpose is a
reason. When you understand something, you know
what it means.
2. D
istribute sentence strips. Instruct each student to
write a simple sentence about the article on his or her
strip. Then review conjunctions with the class.
3. D
isplay the bag, and identify the words it contains.
Invite two students to post their sentences on the
board. Then instruct them to select a conjunction
from the bag and place it between their sentences.
Examine how the word joins the two sentences. Give
each student an opportunity to build a sentence.
Activity Master,
page T11
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T10
April 2015
Busy Butterflies
Name:
Activity Master
Write About a Butterfly's Day
Write about a butterfly's day. Draw pictures to match what the butterfly does.
First,
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Then,
Next,
Finally,
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T11
April 2015
Busy Butterflies
Name:
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What do butterflies need?
A food, wind, shelter, and heat
B food, water, heat, and wind
C food, water, shelter, and heat
2. What do butterflies drink?
A sand
B leaves
C nectar
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. Why do many butterflies live in gardens?
A Gardens are green.
B Gardens have what they need.
C Gardens are windy.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T12
April 2015
Busy Butterflies
Name: Answer Key
Activity Master
Write About a Butterfly's Day
Write about a butterfly's day. Draw pictures to match what the butterfly does.
In the boxes below,
students should draw
a butterfly flying,
getting heat from the
sun, getting shelter
from plants, getting
food from flowers,
drinking water from
wet soil, or spending
time in a garden.
First,
Students should write a sentence about each event. They can copy
sentences from the board if you wish.
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Then,
Next,
Finally,
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T11A
April 2015
Busy Butterflies
Name: Answer Key
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What do butterflies need?
A food, wind, shelter, and heat
B food, water, heat, and wind
C food, water, shelter, and heat
2. What do butterflies drink?
A sand
B leaves
C nectar
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. Why do many butterflies live in gardens?
A Gardens are green.
B Gardens have what they need.
C Gardens are windy.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T12A
April 2015
Every Drop Counts: Overview
Summary
Materials Needed
• Water comes from Earth. All living things need
water to live.
• U.S. Geological Survey's illustration of Earth's water
supply at: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/gallery/global-water-
• People can harm the water supply. People can use
too much water or put trash in the water making it
unsafe to drink.
• People's actions can also help the water supply. They
can use less water and remove trash that could end
up in Earth's water resources.
volume.html
• a globe
• Project
Wet's "We All Use Water" and "Explore
Watersheds" games at: http://www.discoverwater.org
• "Words
to Explore" poster
• the National Geographic Kids's Water Wiz quiz
at: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/
Curriculum in This Article
puzzlesquizzes/water-wiz/
Common Core State Standards
• the PBS Kids' EekoWorld video on water: http://
• Distinguish between information provided by
pictures or other illustrations and information
provided by the words in a text. (RI.1.6)
pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html?load=air_water
• Loudoun
Water's list of 100 ways to conserve water at:
http://www.loudounwater.org/Residential-Customers/100Ways-to-Save-Water/
• With guidance and support from adults, explore
a variety of digital tools to produce and publish
writing, including in collaboration with peers.
(W.1.6)
• a digital camera
• an
electronic presentation program
• Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly
spelled words. (RFS.1.3.g)
• Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns.
(L.1.1.d)
Next Generation Science Standards
• Disciplinary Core Idea: Human Impacts on Earth
Systems—Things that people do to live comfortably
can affect the world around them. But they can
make choices that reduce their impacts on the land,
water, air, and other living things.
Additional Resources
•V
isit the Environmental Protection Agency's Water
Sense Kids page:
▶ h ttp://www.epa.gov/watersense/kids/index.html
•P
lay a game to learn more conserving water:
▶ h ttp://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/water/water/
index.cfm
To access the projectable edition of this
article, go to the For Teachers tab for this
magazine at: ngexplorer.cengage.com.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T13
e-
edition
web
April 2015
Every Drop Counts: Background
Fast Facts
• Water is everywhere on Earth. It's in air, clouds, rivers,
lakes, glaciers, plants, animals, and soil.
•A
round the world, 750 million people lack access to
safe drinking water. That's one out of every nine people.
• All living things need water to live. However, very
little of Earth's water is suitable to meet these needs.
Ninety-seven percent of Earth's water is salty, and 2
percent is snow or ice. Less than 1 percent of Earth's
water is usable for agriculture, industry, household
consumption, and drinking.
• Th
ere is more than 20 times as much fresh water
stored in the ground as in all of Earth's rivers and lakes
combined.
• On average, people use about 3,785 liters
(1,000 gallons) of water a day. The average American
uses twice that amount. People's daily consumption is
depleting the supply of fresh water around the world.
• People use water for drinking, bathing, and to meet
other everyday needs. They also use massive amounts of
water to produce some of the products they use:
ne hamburger: 2,400 liters (634 gallons) of water
▶o
ne cup of coffee: 140 liters (37 gallons) of water
▶o
▶ 3 .8 liters or one gallon of gasoline: 49 liters
(13 gallons) of water
ne 60-watt light bulb: 19 liters/hour
▶o
(5 gallons/hour)
ne pair of blue jeans: 10,978 liters
▶o
(2,900 gallons) of water
ne cotton T-shirt: 2,650 liters (700 gallons)
▶o
of water
•E
arth's freshwater supply is also threatened by
pollution. Much of the trash, chemicals, oil, and other
pollutants that people cast off eventually finds its way
into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
•P
ollutants that reach groundwater make that water
unusable. They damage ecosystems that plants and
animals need to live.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T14
April 2015
Every Drop Counts: Prepare to Read and Science
Activate Prior Knowledge
Why Should Every Drop Count?
Water Problems: Supply and Demand
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, download the U.S.
1. T
o conduct this activity, download the National
Geological Survey's illustration of Earth's water
supply at: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/gallery/global-
water-volume.html
2. D
isplay a globe. Point out that the blue parts show
water and the other areas show land. Display pages
18-19 of the projectable edition. Read aloud the
headline. Ask: Why should every drop of water
count when so much of Earth is covered by water?
3. I nstruct students to imagine that it's possible to
roll all of Earth's water into one big drop. How
big would the drop be? Display the illustration.
Explain what the drops represent. (big: all of
Earth's water; medium: all of the fresh water;
tiny: liquid fresh water on Earth's surface) Inform
students that most of the water living things need
to live comes from the tiny drop.
4. D
isplay pages 18-19 of the projectable edition
again. What do students think of the headline now?
Explore Science
How Living Things Use Water
1. D
ownload Project Wet's "We All Use Water" activities
at: http://www.discoverwater.org
2. I nstruct students to examine the image on pages
18-19 of their magazines. How is the girl using
water? How many students have used water these
same ways? How else do they use water?
3. D
isplay the "Words to Explore" poster. Invite a
volunteer to read it aloud. Challenge the class to
identify ways that plants and animals use water.
4. D
isplay the activities and complete them as a
class. As you do, encourage students to identify
additional ways that plants, animals, and people
use water.
Geographic Kids's Water Wiz quiz at: http://kids.
nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/puzzlesquizzes/
water-wiz/
2. D
isplay and complete the Water Wiz quiz as a class.
Invite students to share what they learned about the
amount of water they use every day.
3. P
oint out to students that people can't make water.
There's the same amount of water on Earth now as
when the dinosaurs were alive. Discuss ways people
can save water. Revisit the headline. Challenge the
class to identify more reasons why every drop counts.
Water Problems: Pollution
1. D
ownload the PBS Kids' EekoWorld video on water:
http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html?load=air_water
2. A
sk students to raise their hands if they've ever seen
trash on the ground. Discuss why trash is a threat
to the water supply. Display the video. Encourage
students to share what they learned about pollution
and how it affects living things in the area. Revisit
the headline. Identify more reasons why every drop
counts.
Extend Science
Finding Water Solutions
1. D
isplay page 23 of the projectable edition. Zoom in
on the question. Read it aloud. Based on what they've
learned, encourage students to think of one thing they
could do to help save water.
2. G
ive each student a copy
of the Activity Master
and access to art supplies.
Instruct students to draw a
picture and write a caption
illustrating their ideas.
Activity Master,
page T17
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T15
April 2015
Every Drop Counts: Language Arts
Explore Reading
Explore Foundational Skills
1. D
isplay pages 18-19 of the projectable edition. Insert
1. D
isplay pages 18-19 of the projectable edition. Zoom
2. R
eview the notes. Point out to the class that if they
2. Highlight the word counts in the headline. Invite a
Learning From Text and Photos
Recognizing Irregularly Spelled Words
a note on the image. Write: A girl drinks water from a
faucet. Read your note aloud. Display the images on
pages 20-21 and 22-23. Invite students to compose
simple sentences that describe those images as well.
Write each sentence on a note.
found this article in a magazine and just looked at the
photos, this is all they would know. Ask: Do these three
notes tell what the article is about? (no) What can tell
you more? (words)
3. R
ead the article as a class. After each page, invite
students to add notes telling what they learned. After
reading the entire article, review all notes. What did
students learn from photos? What did they learn from
the text? How do the photos and text work together to
help readers understand the topic?
Explore Writing
Make a Water Conservation Exhibit
1. Prior to conducting this activity, download Loudoun
Water's list of 100 ways to conserve water at: http://
www.loudounwater.org/Residential-Customers/100Ways-to-Save-Water/. Find 10-15 items that identify a
specific amount of water that can be saved. Write each
on an index card. You will also need a digital camera
and an electronic presentation program.
2. Review your items with the class. If necessary,
demonstrate how to use the camera. Then assign
each student a partner. Give each pair a card. Provide
assistance as partners take photos that show people
wasting and conserving water as it relates to their
topic. If you don't have access to a camera, help
students find appropriate photos online.
in on the headline and highlight the word drop. Invite
a volunteer to sound out the word. Ask: Was sounding
out this word hard or easy to do? Explain that it was
likely easy because this word sounds just like it’s
spelled. Point out that this isn’t always the case.
volunteer to sound out this word letter by letter. Is
that how you say the word? (no) Why? (The letters -ou
work together to make a new sound.)
3. Make the -ou sound. Then encourage students to
find another "ou" word in the article that makes this
same sound. (found) Challenge them to find other
words that make the same sound but have a different
spelling. (how, showers)
4. As a class, compose a list of other words that contain
this same sound. Help students distinguish the -ou
words from those spelled with -ow.
Explore Language
Substituting Pronouns in a Text
1. R
eview personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns
with the class. Encourage students to give examples of
each.
2. D
isplay pages 18-19 of the projectable edition. Invite a
volunteer to highlight a noun on the page. As a class,
discuss which pronoun could replace this word in the
article. Invite another volunteer to add a note to the
page and write the pronoun.
3. S ubstitute pronouns for nouns in this same way as you
review the rest of the article.
3. Encourage students to write a detailed caption for each
photo. Instruct them to tell how many gallons of water
the action saves. As a class, combine the photos to
create an electronic presentation telling how kids can
help save water. Compose a final slide summarizing
how the actions prove that every drop counts.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T16
April 2015
Every Drop Counts
Activity Master
Name:
Finding Water Solutions
Page T17
Draw a picture and write a caption to tell one way you can help save water.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
April 2015
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Every Drop Counts
Assessment
Name:
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What kind of water is safe for people and animals to drink?
A salty
B fresh
C dirty
2. How can people keep water safe?
A Put trash in water.
B Take trash out of water.
C Always put trash in lakes.
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. How can people save water?
A Take a shower every day.
B Take longer showers.
C Take shorter showers.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T18
April 2015
Every Drop Counts
Activity Master
Name:
Finding Water Solutions
Answer Key
Draw a picture and write a caption to tell one way you can help save water.
Page T17A
Students drawings should show one way to save water.
Their captions should directly relate to their drawings.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
April 2015
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Every Drop Counts
Assessment
Name:
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What kind of water is safe for people and animals to drink?
A salty
B fresh
C dirty
2. How can people keep water safe?
A Put trash in water.
B Take trash out of water.
C Always put trash in lakes.
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. How can people save water?
A Take a shower every day.
B Take longer showers.
C Take shorter showers.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T18A
April 2015