NGEXPLORER.CENGAGE.COM
PASSWORD: EXPLORER
MAY 2015
Explorer
TEACHER’S GUIDE—GRADE 1
Frog Parents: Overview
Summary
Materials Needed
• Frog parents take care of their young. They make
sure their babies have food and a safe place with
water so they can grow and survive.
• "Animal Parents" poster
• National Geographic video "Tad Pad Dad" at: http://
kids.nationalgeographic.com/videos?videoGuid=a0360408f47e-410b-b4ce-ee1f71244a36
Curriculum in This Article
• one age-appropriate book about an animal and how it
cares for its babies
Common Core State Standards
• Identify basic similarities in and differences
between two texts on the same topic. (RI.1.9)
• Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the
topic or name the book they are writing about, state
an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and
provide some sense of closure. (W.1.1)
Additional Resource
•L
earn more about poison dart frogs:
▶ http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/poisondart-frog/
• Know final -e and common vowel team conventions
for representing long vowel sounds. (RFS.1.3.c)
To access the projectable edition of this
article, go to the For Teachers tab for this
magazine at: ngexplorer.cengage.com.
• Use commas in dates and to separate single words in
a series. (L.1.2.c)
Next Generation Science Standards
• Disciplinary Core Idea: Growth and Development
of Organisms—Adult plants and animals can have
young. In many kinds of animals, parents and the
offspring themselves engage in behaviors that help
the offspring to survive.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Go to the For Teachers tab at ngexplorer.
cengage.com to access the free interactive
whiteboard lesson for this article.
Page T1
e-
edition
web
e-
edition
May 2015
web
Frog Parents: Background
Fast Facts
• Strawberry poison dart frogs live in tropical rain forests
of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
• Like some other species of poison dart frogs, the
strawberry poison dart frog cares for its young.
• After a female strawberry poison dart frog lays her
eggs, the male returns to the clutch every day to make
sure the eggs don't dry out
•A
female strawberry poison dart frogs returns
regularly to the water-filled leaf-cups to provide food
for her tadpoles. The food is unfertilized eggs from the
female's body.
• These
unfertilized eggs are spiked with the same
chemicals that make the mother frog so poisonous.
This is the first time an animal has been found to pass
along a chemical defense to its offspring.
• Adult strawberry poison dart frogs tend to live on
plants near the forest floor. However, their tadpoles live
within cup-shaped leaves in trees. Once the eggs hatch,
the tadpoles wiggle onto a parent's back. The parent
carries the tadpoles one at a time up into trees and
places them in water-filled leaf-cups of plants that grow
in trees. Tadpoles need water to survive.
• The female frog provides food for the tadpoles to eat
while they complete their metamorphosis. It typically
takes the tadpoles of a strawberry poison dart frog six
to eight weeks to change into a frog.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T2
May 2015
Frog Parents: Prepare to Read and Science
Activate Prior Knowledge
Thinking About Parents and Babies
See Frog Parents in Action
1. Brainstorm with students a list of things parents do
1. Prior to conducting this activity, download
to help their young. Tell the class that the parents
and young they explore can be human or any type of
animal they know about.
the National Geographic video "Tad Pad
Dad" at: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
2. Write students’ ideas on the board. Then ask: What do
all of these things have in common? Guide students to
recognize the patterns in the behavior of parents and
offspring that help the offspring survive.
videos?videoGuid=a0360408-f47e-410b-b4ceee1f71244a36.
2. Display the video for the class. Encourage students to
compare what they saw in the video to what they read
in the article. What additional facts did they learn
about how frog parents care for their young?
Explore Science
What Do Animal Parents Do?
Extend Science
1. Display the "Animal Parents" poster. Focus students'
Explore a Frog's Life Cycle
attention on each photo and caption to examine what
these four animal parents do to care for their young.
Encourage students to identify other animal parents
they know about that do these same things.
1. Using the information in the article, guide students
as they diagram the life cycle of a strawberry poison
dart frog.
2. Examine the finished diagrams with the class. Identify
2. Display the projectable edition. As you view each
points at which frog parents care for their babies.
Challenge students to recognize where that care ends.
(after the mother gives food to the tadpoles)
image, discuss what it shows. Challenge students to
find examples of how frog parents carry, feed, and
protect their young. Discuss whether or not frog
parents also teach their young.
3. Guide students to recognize that animal parents
3. Give each student a copy of the Activity Master. Using
the poster as a guide, encourage students to draw
an animal parent caring for its young in each way
described on the poster. Tell
them to write each animal's
name on the line below their
drawing. When students are
finished, invite them to show
and tell about the different
Activity Master,
ways animal parents care for their
page T5
young.
▶alligator: a few months to a year;
Frog Parents
Activity Master
care for their young for different lengths of time. To
ensure that students understand, share examples of the
lengths of time different species care for their young:
Name:
What Do Frog Parents Do?
carry
feed
protect
teach
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T5
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Read each word. Draw animal parents that care for their young in each way. Write each animal's name.
May 2015
▶woodpecker: about 18 to 30 days;
▶grizzly bear: about 2 to 3 years;
▶b obcat: about 8 months to a year.
Poster correction: Alligator young are called hatchlings,
not hatchings. If you teach with the poster, please add the
missing "l" to the word. We apologize for the error.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T3
May 2015
Frog Parents: Language Arts
Explore Reading
Explore Foundational Skills
1. Prior to conducting this activity, gather one
1. Create a chart like the one below on the board:
Comparing Two Texts on the Same Topic
Investigating Long Vowel Sounds
age-appropriate book about an animal and how it
cares for its young.
safe
need
ride
pole
use
2. Display pages 2-3 of the projectable edition. Invite
a volunteer to read aloud the headline and text. Ask
students what this article is about and how the image
and text are connected to that idea.
3. Read the article as a class. As you do, take time to
discuss how each photo helps explain the text on the
page. Examine descriptions and labels. Encourage
students to comment on how frog parents keep their
young safe as they grow.
4. Then read the book in this same manner. When you
Challenge the class to recognize what the five words
have in common. (long vowel sounds) How are they
different? (Each has a different long vowel sound.)
3. Examine how the words get their long vowel sounds.
Guide students to recognize that four of the words
have a final -e. Which one doesn't? (need)
4. Give students a moment to scan the article in their
finish reading, guide students as they compare the
article and the book. Challenge students to identify
ways the two texts were alike and how they were
different.
magazines. Which of these words are in the text? (safe,
need, (tad)pole) Invite volunteers to read sentences
containing those words aloud.
5. Then brainstorm additional words that have each long
vowel sound. Invite volunteers to write the words in
the chart. Examine each word to see why it has a long
vowel sound. Challenge students to use each word in a
sentence that tells about frog parents and their young.
Explore Writing
Write Opinions About Frog Parents
1. D
isplay and review the projectable edition with the
class. As you do, highlight details that tell how frog
parents care for their young.
2. D
ivide the class into small groups. Encourage groups
to discuss other animals and how they care for their
young. Challenge them to identify animal parents that
they think are most and least like frog parents in the
way they care for their young.
3. I nstruct groups to use information from the article
2. Invite volunteers to read each of the words aloud.
and what they know to write one paragraph about an
animal parent they think is most like the frog parents
and one paragraph about an animal parent they think
is least like frog parents. Remind students to state their
opinions clearly and to give reasons to support each
comparison. Instruct them to add a final sentence that
wraps up their thoughts.
Explore Language
Using Commas in a Series
1. D
isplay page 5 of the projectable edition. Zoom in
on the block of text. Challenge students to count how
many commas they see. (three) Invite a volunteer to
highlight the sentence that has the most commas.
2. E
xplain to the class that these commas are used to
separate single words in a series. Review what that
means.
3. E
ncourage students to examine the rest of the article.
Where can they find another example of commas used
in this way? (page 6)
4. G
uide students as they write more sentences about
frog parents that use commas to separate words in
a series.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T4
May 2015
Frog Parents
Activity Master
What Do Frog Parents Do?
feed
May 2015
Read each word. Draw animal parents that care for their young in each way. Write each animal's name.
carry
teach
Page T5
protect
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Frog Parents
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What does a mother frog lay on a leaf?
A food
B tadpoles
C eggs
2. Why does the father frog watch over the eggs?
A to make sure they hatch B to keep them safe
C to give them food
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. What do frog parents do to care for new tadpoles?
A Take them to water.
B Put them in a sunny place.
C Put them under leaves.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T6
May 2015
Frog Parents
Activity Master
What Do Frog Parents Do?
feed
teach
Page T5A
Answer Key
May 2015
Read each word. Draw animal parents that care for their young in each way. Write each animal's name.
carry
Students should draw pictures of animal parents that
care for their young in each of the four identified ways.
Remind them to write each animal's name below the
appropriate picture.
protect
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Frog Parents
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What does a mother frog lay on a leaf?
A food
B tadpoles
C eggs
2. Why does the father frog watch over the eggs?
A to make sure they hatch B to keep them safe
C to give them food
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. What do frog parents do to care for new tadpoles?
A Take them to water.
B Put them in a sunny place.
C Put them under leaves.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T6A
May 2015
Starry Sky: Overview
Summary
Materials Needed
• Stars are objects in space that look like dots of
light in the dark night sky. The only star we can see
during the day is the sun. The sun's light is so bright
we can't see the other stars in the sky during the day.
• black and white construction paper
• Stars are huge, but they look tiny to people on Earth.
Stars look small because they are so far away.
• t he National Geographic Kids article "Sun" at: http://
• scissors
• three identical pencil erasers
kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/space/sun/
• sentence strips
Curriculum in This Article
Common Core State Standards
Additional Resource
• Identify the main topic and retell key details of a
text.(RI.1.2)
•W
ith guidance and support from adults, focus on
a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from
peers, and add details to strengthen writing as
needed. (W.1.5)
• S egment spoken single-syllable words into
their complete sequence of individual sounds
(phonemes). (RFS.1.2.d)
• Learn more about stars:
▶ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/universe_
level1/stars.html
To access the projectable edition of this
article, go to the For Teachers tab for this
magazine at: ngexplorer.cengage.com.
• S ort words into categories to gain a sense of the
concepts the categories represent. (L.1.5.a)
e-
edition
web
Next Generation Science Standards
• Disciplinary Core Idea: The Universe and Its
Stars—Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon,
and stars in the sky can be observed, described, and
predicted.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T7
May 2015
Starry Sky: Background
Fast Facts
• A star is a ball of hot gas in space. There are billions of
stars in the universe.
• I t takes eight minutes and 20 seconds for light from the
sun to reach Earth.
• The sun is a big star. It is so large about 109 Earths
could stretch across the diameter of the sun. If its
interior were hollow, more than a million Earths could
fit inside.
•P
roxima Centauri is the next closest star to Earth.
It takes more than four years for light from this star
to reach Earth.
• The sun is the closest star to Earth. It looks much larger
than other stars because it is much closer to Earth.
Closer objects look larger to the observer.
• While stars do have different levels of brightness,
distance also affects how bright they appear. The closer
an object is to the observer, the brighter it appears.
• Because the sun is so much closer to Earth than other
stars, its light makes it impossible to see other stars
during the day. When the sun sets, we can see other
stars set against the dark, night sky.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T8
May 2015
Starry Sky: Prepare to Read and Science
Activate Prior Knowledge
Sharing Ideas About Stars
Size: Patterns of Stars in the Sky
1. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition. Zoom
1. Gather three identical pencil erasers. Take the class
2. Z
oom out to show the full image. Compare the image
2. S et one eraser on the floor directly in front of the
Explore Science
3. I nstruct students to observe the erasers now. Ask:
in on the headline and invite a volunteer to read it
aloud. Ask students to describe a "Starry Sky."
to students' descriptions. Encourage students to share
what they know about stars.
into a long hallway. Encourage students to observe
the erasers to verify that they are the same size.
class. Invite a volunteer to place another eraser
halfway down the hallway and the last eraser at the
far end.
Why do the erasers look like they're different sizes?
Encourage students to share their ideas. Guide the
class to understand that the answer is distance. The
first eraser looks bigger because it's closer to them.
Brightness: Patterns of Stars in the Sky
1. Display pages 10-11 of the projectable edition.
Instruct students to identify everything they see
in the photo. Do the same with the images on pages
12-13 and 14-15.
4. I nstruct students to open their magazines and
2. Review the lists. Circle the word stars in each. If
students didn't recognize the sun as a star in the final
photo, ask the class where the stars are in that image. If
they did know that the sun is a star, challenge them to
explain where the rest of the stars have gone.
3. Point out to the class that sometimes it's easier to
compare the size of the sun on pages 14-15 to size
of the stars in the other photos. Help students
understand that the sun and stars are just like the
erasers. The further away something is, the smaller
it appears. Stars that look like tiny dots of light in
the night sky are really huge stars located far out in
space.
understand things if you do an experiment.
4. Give each student a strip of white construction paper.
Extend Science
5. Give each student one sheet of black construction
1. P
rior to conducting this activity, download the
Instruct them to cut their papers into small pieces.
National Geographic Kids article "Sun" at: http://
kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/space/sun/.
paper and one sheet of white construction paper.
Instruct them to put half of their pieces on each
sheet of paper. Encourage students to share their
observations.
6. Display the article's images in the projectable edition
2. D
isplay the article. Review the information with
the class.
once again. Instruct students to compare what they
observed in their experiment with the sky and stars in
each image. Guide the class to understand that stars
are always in the sky. We just can't see them in the
daytime because it's so bright.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
The Sun Is a Star
3. G
uide students to recognize that the sun is a star.
Because it is so much closer to Earth than other
stars, it looks much larger and appears much
brighter. Ask: What do we feel from the sun because
it's closer to Earth than other stars? Encourage
students to review page 14 in the article to find the
answer. (heat)
Page T9
May 2015
Starry Sky: Language Arts
Explore Reading
Explore Foundational Skills
1. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition. Ask
1. D
isplay pages 10-11 of the projectable edition.
2. P
oint out that stars or the sky could be a main topic, or
2. S ay the word sky, one sound at a time. Select a
Retelling Ideas About Stars
Recognizing Segmented Words
students to raise their hands if they think this article
is about stars. Then ask them to raise their hands if
they think it's about the sky. Invite students to share
reasons to support their votes.
Explain to students that you are going to choose a
word on the page and say it one sound at a time.
When students know which word it is, they should
raise their hands.
what the article is mostly about. The only way to know
for sure is to read the details in the article.
3. R
ead the article as a class. After reading, ask again:
What is the main topic of this article? What is the
article about? Guide students to understand that
this article is about star patterns. We can see stars
other than the sun at night. We can't see them during
the day.
Activity Master. Instruct students
to record the main topic on their
papers. Then divide the class into
small groups. Encourage group
members to work together to
identify and record five key details
that tell more about the topic.
3. O
nce students fully understand the procedure,
divide the class into small groups. Instruct students
to take turns saying and identifying words in the
text. Challenge them to go beyond the text and
think of new words to segment and identify on
their own.
Starry Sky
Name:
Activity Master
Retelling Ideas About Stars
Write the main topic and five key details in the article. Use your notes to retell
the story in your own words.
Write the main topic or the most important part of the article.
Main topic:
Write the clues that tell about the main topic. These are key details.
Explore Language
Key detail:
Key detail:
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
4. G
ive each student a copy of the
student to highlight the word you pronounced on
the screen. Confirm with the class that the correct
word is highlighted. Then repeat this process with
the word stars.
Key detail:
Key detail:
Key detail:
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
5. R
ejoin as a class. Using their Activity
Masters as a guide, invite volunteers
to retell the article in their own words.
Page T11
May 2015
Activity Master,
page T11
Sorting Words Into Categories
1. Prior to conducting this activity, write the following
sets of words on sentence strips.
▶ s un, moon, star, tree
▶ s tar, shadow, lamp, flashlight
▶m
atch, cave, shadow, night
2. Display the first strip. Instruct students to compare
the words. Which three words have something in
common? (sun, moon, star) What is it? (They are
things found up in the sky.) Challenge students to
explain why the word tree doesn't belong.
Explore Writing
Writing About Stars and Light
1. Write the following questions on the board:
3. Examine the other two examples in this same way.
▶W
hy can't we see stars during the day?
▶W
hy can we see stars at night?
2. Divide the class into small groups. Assign half of the
groups to each question. Challenge them to use the
article as they write a response.
3. Have groups switch papers. Instruct them to review
Then provide additional examples or encourage
students to create examples of their own. Guide
students to recognize that identifying similarities and
differences between words can help them understand
what words mean.
each other's responses and suggest ways that the
writing could be stronger. Return the papers to the
original groups and give them time to revise. Invite
groups to share their final drafts with the class.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T10
May 2015
Starry Sky
Activity Master
Retelling Ideas About Stars
Write the main topic and five key details in the article. Use your notes to retell
the story in your own words.
Write the main topic. It is the most important part of the article.
Main topic:
Write the clues that tell about the main topic. These are key details.
Key detail:
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Key detail:
Key detail:
Key detail:
Key detail:
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T11
May 2015
Starry Sky
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. Why can we see more stars at night?
A The sky is dark.
B The moon is bright.
C There are clouds.
2. Which star can we see during the day?
A the moon
B the sun
C Earth
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. Why do stars look like tiny dots of light?
A They are small.
B They are in the sky.
C They are far away.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T12
May 2015
Starry Sky
Name:
Activity Master
Answer Key
Retelling Ideas About Stars
Write the main topic and five key details in the article. Use your notes to retell
the story in your own words.
Write the main topic. It is the most important part of the article.
Main topic:
We can see stars other than our sun at night but not during the day.
Write the clues that tell about the main topic. These are key details.
Key detail:
Key detail:
Key detail:
Key detail:
We can see stars at night when there are no clouds in the sky.
Stars look tiny because they're so far away.
The sun is a star.
The sun's light makes the sky so bright that we can't see other stars during the day.
After the sun sets, the sky gets darker and we can see other stars again.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T11A
May 2015
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Key detail:
Starry Sky
Answer Key
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. Why can we see more stars at night?
A The sky is dark.
B The moon is bright.
C There are clouds.
2. Which star can we see during the day?
A the moon
B the sun
C Earth
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. Why do stars look like tiny dots of light?
A They are small.
B They are in the sky.
C They are far away.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T12A
May 2015
Stems: Overview
Summary
Materials Needed
• A stem is a part of a plant that helps it grow. Stems
hold plants up, connect a plant's roots to its leaves,
and carry water and food to other parts of the plant.
•p
lain white paper
• Not all stems look alike. Some stems are soft
and can bend. Other stems are hard. Hard stems
can't bend.
• several
tall, clear glasses or jars
Curriculum in This Article
• scissors
• "Parts of a Sunflower" poster
• water
• food
coloring
Common Core State Standards
• several white flowers
•D
escribe the connection between two individuals,
events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
(RI.1.3)
• a box of facial tissues
• Participate in shared research and writing projects.
(W.1.7)
• green
pipe cleaners
• Use context to confirm or self-correct word
recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary. (RFS.1.4.c)
• sentence
strips
• transparent
tape
• a popsicle stick
• Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on
phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
(L.1.2.e)
Next Generation Science Standards
• Disciplinary Core Idea: Structure and Function—All
organisms have external parts. Different animals use
their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp
objects, protect themselves, move from place to
place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air.
Plants also have different parts (roots, stems, leaves,
flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
To access the projectable edition of this
article, go to the For Teachers tab for this
magazine at: ngexplorer.cengage.com.
Page T13
e-
edition
web
May 2015
Stems: Background
Fast Facts
• Plants are living things. To live, most plants need light,
water, and air. They get nutrients from the soil.
• Plants are made of many different parts. Each part has a
specific function that helps the plant survive:
▶roots: absorb water and minerals from soil, hold
the plant in the ground, and store extra food;
• Some plants store food and water in their stems.
•M
ost stems stand upright, but the stems of some plants,
such as strawberry plants, lie flat on the ground. Vines
have stems that climb and twist around things.
•A
potato is a tuber, or the swollen end of an
underground stem.
▶stems: support the plant and provide a system for
water and nutrients to move from the roots and
the leaves to the rest of the plant;
▶l eaves: make food in most plants;
▶f lowers: allow most plants to reproduce;
▶f ruits: cover plants' seeds;
▶s eeds: grow into new plants.
• There are different types of plant stems. Some, like a
tree trunk, are hard and do not bend easily. Others, like
the stem of a daisy, are soft and bend easily.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T14
May 2015
Stems: Prepare to Read and Science
Activate Prior Knowledge
Recognizing a Plant's Stem
Taking a Closer Look at Stems
1. G
ive each student a piece of plain white paper.
1. T
o conduct this activity, you will need several tall,
Ask students to draw a picture of a plant.
clear glasses or jars, water, food coloring, scissors,
and several white flowers.
2. D
isplay students' drawings and invite them to
describe what they drew. Point out, but don't
identify, the stem in several examples. Encourage
students to share what they know about stems.
2. R
eview the steps of the experiment on page 22 of
the article. Then divide the class into small groups.
Supervise as students complete steps 1-4. Store
students' flowers in a safe place overnight. As a class,
predict what the flowers will look like the next day.
Explore Science
3. Th
e following day, invite groups to retrieve and
Identifying Plant Parts
1. D
isplay the "Parts of a Sunflower" poster, covering
up the labels that identify the various plant parts.
Invite students to describe what they see.
2. R
ead aloud the headline and text. Challenge
Extend Science
students to identify each word in the text that
names a plant part. (leaves, stem, roots, flower)
Different Types of Stems
1. T
o conduct this activity, you will need a box of facial
3. P
oint out that the text identifies four plant parts.
tissues, transparent tape, green pipe cleaners, and
popsicle sticks. Also cut out two green leaves for each
student from green construction paper.
The poster has four labels. As a class, determine
which plant part belongs in each label.
4. A
s an extension activity, cut apart the "Stems"
2. I nvite students to watch as you demonstrate how to
sorting cards. Invite partners to challenge one
another to a "Stems" sorting game.
make a tissue paper flower:
Understanding What Plant Parts Do
1. D
isplay pages 18-19 of the projectable edition.
Cover up the three blocks of text. Invite volunteers
to identify the three parts of this plant.
2. I nstruct students to look closely at the plant in the
image. It really doesn't look like much. It's just a
thin red stem, four green leaves, and a tangle of
roots in the ground. Ask: How does this plant stay
alive? Encourage students to share their ideas.
3. G
uide the class to understand that plants live
because each part has an important job. One at
a time, remove the covers over the text blocks.
Invite volunteers to read the information aloud. As
you review the function of each part, encourage
students to share what else they know about these
parts and how each one helps plants live and grow.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
examine their flowers. Challenge them to explain
why their flowers are no longer white. If necessary,
recommend that they reread page 21 of the article.
▶L
ay three tissues in a neat pile.
▶F
old the tissues back and forth like an accordion.
▶F
old the tissue strip in half. Tape it tightly around
the folded end.
▶V
ery carefully pull apart the layers of tissue to
create a flower.
3. D
istribute the tissues. Supervise as students create
their own tissue paper flowers. When all students are
finished, ask them what their flowers are missing.
(leaves and a stem) Give each student two leaves.
Display one green pipe cleaner and one popsicle stick.
Instruct students to review the information on pages
20-21 of their magazines to decide which of these stem
choices is correct.
4. O
nce students have given a satisfactory response,
distribute the pipe cleaners. Instruct students to wrap
the pipe cleaners around the bottom of their flowers.
Tape each so it is secure. Have students tape their
leaves to the stem to complete their flowers.
Page T15
May 2015
Stems: Language Arts
Explore Reading
Explore Foundational Skills
1. D
isplay pages 16-17 of the projectable edition.
1. D
ivide the class into small groups of three. Make sure
2. Then read aloud the text on these pages. Ask students
2. A
s one student reads, other group members should
Connecting Ideas About Stems
Using Context to Confirm Understanding
Highlight the headline and read it aloud. Encourage
students to identify stems they see in these photos.
each student has a copy of the magazine. Instruct
students to take turns reading the article aloud.
what they think this article will tell them about stems.
(how stems help plants live and grow) Encourage
students to share what they already know about
this topic.
3. R
ead the article aloud as a class. Stop after each page
to discuss different ways that stems help plants live
and grow. Guide students to understand plant stems
can be very different. For example, some stems are
hard and others are soft. However, all stems carry out
the basic functions that help plants live and grow so
they can survive.
when needed. Make sure that each group member has
a chance to read the article aloud.
Spell Untaught Words Phonetically
Research and Write About Stems
1. W
rite sentences from the article on sentence strips in
1. Display the "Parts of a Sunflower" poster. Review the
information to ensure that all students can accurately
identify these four parts of a plant.
Name:
Activity Master
Research and Write About Stems
▶A
_tem is a part of a pl_nt that _elps it live and
gr_ _.
to identify the missing letter in each word.
each plant. Write to tell how stems help plants live and grow.
Plant with a hard stem
the following manner:
2. R
ead the sentence aloud. As you do, challenge students
Stems
Draw a plant with a hard stem and a plant with a soft stem. Label the parts of
Plant with a soft stem
3. Y
ou may wish to make multiple sentence strips and
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
of the Activity Master and
take the class on a nature walk
around the school. Challenge
students to find plants with hard
and soft stems. Instruct them
to draw one example of each.
Remind students that roots
grow into the ground. They
shouldn't pull up any plants but
simply draw what they think the
roots look like.
3. C
irculate among the groups and provide assistance
Explore Language
Explore Writing
2. Then give each student a copy
follow along and read silently to themselves. If the
main reader struggles with a word, encourage group
members to help out. Point out that this doesn't mean
that they read the word aloud themselves. Tell students
that it's much more helpful if they sound out the
letters in the word with the reader or show the reader
other words on the page that have the same sounds.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T17
complete this activity as a class. Or, create a document
with a variety of sentences and have students fill in the
missing letters in small groups.
May 2015
Activity Master,
page T17
3. Return to the classroom. In small groups, instruct
students to label the parts of each plant. Then, using
their labeled drawings and the article as a guide,
encourage students to write a short explanation telling
how a plant's stem helps it live and grow.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T16
May 2015
Stems
Activity Master
Research and Write About Stems
Draw a plant with a hard stem and a plant with a soft stem. Label the parts of
each plant. Write to tell how stems help plants live and grow.
Plant with a hard stem
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Plant with a soft stem
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T17
May 2015
Stems
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What does a stem do?
A hold a plant in the ground
B hold up a plant
C hold light
2. What can a stem do?
A make food
B take in water
C move water and food
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. How are all stems alike?
A All stems are soft and can bend.
B All stems are hard and do not bend.
C All stems have tiny tubes in them.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T18
May 2015
Stems
Answer Key
Activity Master
Research and Write About Stems
Draw a plant with a hard stem and a plant with a soft stem. Label the parts of
each plant. Write to tell how stems help plants live and grow.
Plant with a hard stem
Students should draw a
picture of a plant with a
soft stem such as a flower
or small plant. They should
label the stem, leaves, roots
(underground). If applicable,
they should label the flowers.
Students should explain that the stem holds up a plant and connects the roots to the leaves. They
should note that stems have tiny tubes in them that move water and food to other parts of the plant.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T17A
May 2015
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
Students should draw a
picture of a plant with a hard
stem such as a tree. They
should label the stem, leaves,
and roots (underground). If
applicable, they should label
the flowers.
Plant with a soft stem
Stems
Assessment
Read each question. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer.
1. What does a stem do?
A hold a plant in the ground
B hold up a plant
C hold light
2. What can a stem do?
A make food
B take in water
C move water and food
© 2015 National Geographic Learning. All rights reserved. Teachers may copy this page to distribute to their students.
3. How are all stems alike?
A All stems are soft and can bend.
B All stems are hard and do not bend.
C All stems have tiny tubes in them.
National Geographic Young Explorer, Grade 1
Page T18A
May 2015