ReadingAdventuresMagazine G4

MUSEUM
WONDERS
Mystery of the
MISSING TURTLE
1503619
1503619-LV 4
Welcome, Reader!
In this magazine you will discover that
creepy things can be cool—especially spiders,
frogs, turtles, and pythons. You’ll learn how
John Muir helped to create Yosemite National
Park and how kids like you help to protect their
own local habitats.
You’ll read poems and articles about
museums and nature, and explore even more
in lots of fun activities.
Your path to discovery begins when you
turn the page!
Lesson
26
The Girl Who Loved Spiders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
by Karen Halvorsen Schreck
Web Wise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
by Margaret Hall
Poetry Place
The Spider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
by Jack Prelutsky
Spider Ropes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
by James Berry
Activity Central
Design a Web . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Story Scramble. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Your Turn
Cool or Creepy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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v
Lesson L
27 2
The Frog in the Milk Pail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Retold by M. C. Hall
Amphibian Alert! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
by Elliott Meiner
Poetry Place
Toad by the Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
by Joanne Ryder
The Poison-Dart Frogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
by Douglas Florian
Activity Central
Match the Moral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Word Relationships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Your Turn
Save the Frogs!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lesson L
28 3
Museums: Worlds of Wonder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
by Jody Cosson
Making the Most from Trash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
by H. G. Ellis
Poetry Place
Dinosaur Bone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
by Alice Schertle
Museum Farewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Activity Central
Come to the Museum!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Impossible? Not! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Your Turn
Express Yourself!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Lesson
29
Save Timber Woods! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
by Lillian Dietrich
Following Muir: A Persuasive Essay . . . . . . . . 56
by Delia Greve
Poetry Place
The Comb of Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
by Claudia Lewis
Enjoy the Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
from Yoruba, Africa
Activity Central
The Impact of Life’s Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Say It with a Sign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Your Turn
Try to See It My Way! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Lesson
30
Mystery at Reed’s Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
by Zoe Zolbrod
A Big Python Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
by Trillio DeBernardi
Poetry Place
Naming the Turtle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
by Patricia Hubbell
Greater Flamingo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
by Tony Johnston
Activity Central
You Be the Detective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Choose Your Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Your Turn
Pets Need You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Lesson
26
The Girl
Who Loved
Spiders
I hate spiders. That’s the first Mom has told me it takes three
thing you should know about me. weeks to make a habit. It’s only
My mom and I just moved been a week since we moved, but
from New York to Florida. That’s I’ve already made one.
the second thing you should know First thing every morning, I
about me. We moved because my shake out my sneakers. Second
mom got a new teaching job at a thing, I put on my sneakers, though
university here. I’m still wearing pajamas. Third
Before we moved, my best thing, I always watch my step.
friend, Billy, told me all kinds of Hey! Not one, but three new
creepy stories about spiders that habits.
live in Florida. I blame them all on Billy.
“My brother knows a guy from
there who got bitten by a brown
recluse spider,” Billy said. “This
guy was smart about spiders, too.
He shook out his shoes. He watched
his step. His bite healed, but it was
the worst.”
4
I find Mom in the kitchen, drink- I gulp. “No thanks.”
ing a glass of orange juice. Great. Venomous spiders and
“You’re awake, Luis? It’s the scorpions.
crack of dawn!” Mom shrugs. “Okay. So what
“Too hot.” are you up to?”
Mom laughs. “It’s summer. “TV?”
Aren’t those winter pajamas?” Mom frowns.
I don’t tell her that flannel is “There’s always the trampo-
better protection from spiders. line,” I mutter.
Over breakfast, Mom discusses Mom bought the trampoline
her plan for the day. It’s the same as the day after we arrived. It’s as big
yesterday’s: unpack and settle in. and bouncy as can be—something
“Oh!” Mom sits up straight in I always wanted that Billy had. I just
her chair. “I found a dead scorpion wish Billy were here now to teach
yesterday. It was in perfect shape— me how to do a flip.
not a leg missing. Fascinating,
really. I saved it in case
you wanted to see.”
5
Not even 8:30 in the morning, I collapse onto the trampoline
and I’m on the trampoline again. and scramble down. This I have to
Every jump takes me higher and see. As I enter her yard, where the
higher. grass is taller, I freeze.
In mid-air, I see her—two yards The ball in the girl’s hands is a
over—a girl about my age. I keep rolled-up sock. A camera dangles
jumping. The girl kneels before a from a strap around her neck. She
bush, in tall grass where all kinds of carefully settles the sock on the
biting and stinging things might be. grass. Then she raises the camera
She stays very still. and peers through it. I look where
Next jump, I see something in she’s looking, at a delicate shape
her hands . . . a pink ball? against the bush’s leaves, like lace
Jump higher! against green velvet.
The girl claps the ball. Poof! A The shape is a gigantic spider
white cloud explodes from between web, whitened by whatever the girl
her fingers. clapped from the sock.
Photographers sometimes
make spider webs more
visible by dusting them
with cornstarch.
6
Not all spiders make
their homes in webs.
Some dig burrows.
“Yikes!” I yell at the sight of right.” The girl glares. “It sure was
the web. pretty—until you came along. Who
The girl cries out, surprised, are you, anyway?”
and falls into the web. She springs “Luis. I just moved here.”
up, web clinging to her. “What’s “My name is Ashanti. Welcome
the big idea?” she shouts. to the neighborhood.” She still
“Um . . . I was warning you! sounds mad.
Guess you don’t know about brown I cross my arms over my chest.
recluse spiders?” “So you’re on a spider safari. Why?”
“Of course I do. I’ve been “This summer my goal is to
trying to find one. They’re shy, like photograph one hundred spiders.
most arachnids. I’ve found rarer I’ve always loved folktales about
breeds, even the burrowing wolf Anansi, a true spider-man. Spiders
spider. Still haven’t tracked down are cool.”
a brown recluse.” She points at the I don’t think before I say, “No,
bush. “That was a common orb they aren’t. Spiders are disgusting.”
weaver. I’ve been watching her At that, Ashanti stalks away.
for days, until she got her web just
7
That afternoon Mom drives Ashanti’s mom, hit it off. Mrs. Smith
me to a park. “Never mind the teaches at the university, too.
heat,” she says. “There’ll be boys Mr. Smith works for the alumni
your age.” office. Ashanti and I might be in the
There’s a decent playground, same fifth-grade class!
but a sign reads: BEWARE OF “Ashanti just found her first
SNAKES! Where there are snakes, colorful crab spider,” Mrs. Smith
there must be spiders. Ashanti says. “It’s the fiftieth spider she’s
would be in heaven. As for me . . . photographed for her collection.”
There are no boys my age. Mom and Mrs. Smith keep
Two little girls sweat it out on the talking. Ashanti photographs her
slide. Mom wilts on a bench. We spider. I trace circles in the dirt.
drive home. Then Mrs. Smith asks Mom and me
As we turn onto our street, we over for dinner. Mom agrees.
see Ashanti crouching by a flower Yippee.
pot in her front yard. A woman Ashanti rolls her eyes. She’s not
kneels beside her. exactly thrilled, either.
To my horror, Mom stops the car
and gets out. Mom and Mrs. Smith,
Many crab spiders

use camouflage to
catch prey.
8
At six o’clock we’re standing Ashanti smiles a little.
on the Smiths’ front porch. Ashanti “Come on.”
opens the door, and soon we sit We go into the family room.
down to dinner. The Smiths and African artifacts cover three of the
Mom talk and laugh; Ashanti and I walls: masks, instruments, weav-
dig into our lasagna. Soon my plate ings, and paintings. A large bulletin
is empty; so is Ashanti’s. board hangs on the fourth wall.
She gives me a cautious look. About fifty photographs of spiders
“Want to see Anansi?” she asks are mounted there. I take a deep
quietly, so as not to interrupt the breath and go over to the board.
grownups. I’ve got to admit, some of the
I shrug. “I guess.” spiders look pretty cool.
9
Ashanti points at a painting and also could be tricky and greedy.
says, “That’s Anansi.” I move closer In one story, he tries to keep all
to see a powerful-looking spider, wisdom for himself.”
standing upright, flexing six of its Suddenly, Mrs. Smith calls from
eight legs. The spider has a man’s the kitchen, “Ashanti! Quick! You’ve
face . . . and eight eyes. got to see this!”
“Some legends say that Anansi Ashanti turns and runs from the
created the sun, stars, and moon. room with me at her heels.
Nice guy, huh?” Ashanti smiles. “He
10
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are peer- trap, Ashanti tells me that there’s
ing at a baseboard. Ashanti presses an interesting-looking web woven
close. through my trampoline’s net.
“Brown recluse!” Mrs. Smith “I spotted it today on one of my
whispers. safaris,” she says, grinning. “I want
Ashanti gasps in excitement. to photograph it.”
She grabs her camera and adjusts “Stop by tomorrow, if you
the settings. Mom holds me back, want,” I say.
although Mrs. Smith reassures her “It’ll be early in the morning.
that the spider won’t hurt you if That’s the best time.”
you don’t hurt the spider. Just don’t “I’ll probably be awake.”
brush up against it. “Just don’t be bouncing, OK?
“Ashanti knows what to do, You might wreck it.”
Mom,” I say. “I don’t want to do that,” I say. “I
Ashanti glances at me, sur- want to know which spiders live in
prised, and smiles. Then she my yard.”
adjusts the zoom on her camera and Boy, won’t Billy be surprised.
snaps the picture. “Fifty-one!” she I’ll be able to teach him a thing or
exclaims. two about spiders when he comes
Later, after Mr. Smith has caught to visit!
the venomous spider on a glue
The brown recluse

spider has six eyes.
11
WEB WISE
Part of what makes spiders fascinating is
that they weave amazing webs. Here are
a few facts to make you web wise.
Web Shots
Although it can be difficult to photograph a spider web,
scientists and photographers know a few tricks to make it easier.
Some use cornstarch. The white powder coats the strands of
the web and makes them easier to see. However, scientists know
that this can sometimes damage the web. They always remove the
spider before dusting the web.
Another method
doesn’t harm the web at
all. Photographers spray
a mist of water onto a
web. Drops of water cling
to the web’s strands. Then
sunshine turns an ordinary
web into a sparkling jewel!
12
A Sticky Situation
Have you ever wondered why
spiders don’t get stuck in their own webs?
The answer is simple: They know where
they’re going.
Most webs are made from two kinds
of silk. An orb spider’s web, for example, has
long, straight strands that start at the middle
and go out to the edges, like the spokes of a
wheel. Then the web has a network of spiral
strands in the center. The spiral strands are
sticky, but the straight strands are not.
When an insect flies or crawls into the
web, it gets stuck in the sticky strands. Then
the spider hurries across the long, straight
strands to enjoy its next meal!
An orb spider’s web is made of
straight strands and spiral strands.
The spiral strands are sticky.
Strange, but True!

More than 3,000 people visited a Texas state
park during the 2007 Labor Day weekend. They
didn’t come to see parades or listen to speeches.
They came to see a spider web!
It was no ordinary sight. The enormous web
was draped over trees and shrubs along nearly
600 feet of a nature trail!
Scientists think millions of baby spiders, called
spiderlings, built the web. The spiderlings may all
have floated in on an air current and landed in the
same area.
A few days later, heavy rain ruined the web.
13
The Spider by Jack Prelutsky
The spider, sly and talented,
weaves silver webs of silken thread,
then waits for unobservant flies
… to whom she’ll not apologize!
14
Spider
Ropes
by James Berry
Alone in woods, I hunt

for pretty leaves dropped
and smooth stones like marbles.
I come back feeling

my face is well laced
with leaves and spiders’ webs.
15
Design a IWeb! f you were a spider, what
kind of web would you weave?
Look at the spider webs shown on
this page, and then create your own
design for a spider web.
Where would you make your web?

What kinds of food would you hope to catch?
Write two or more sentences explaining how

your web design would help you catch your lunch.
16
Story Scramble
Stories have a structure with a beginning, middle, and end.
Events happen in an order that makes sense.
The story events below are scrambled. Put the letters in
order so that the story makes sense. Then discuss how each event
influences what happens next.
A. Despite the advice, Anansi threw down
the pot, shouting, “The pot of wisdom is
mine! I should know more than you!”
B. Anansi the spider had all the world’s

wisdom stored in a pot. The sky god
Nyame had given it to him and told
him to share it.
C. The pot broke. People found bits of

wisdom scattered everywhere and took
them home. That is why no one person
today has all of the world’s wisdom.
D. Greedy Anansi decided to hide the pot of

wisdom at the top of a tree. Balancing the
pot at the same time was tricky, though.
E. Anansi’s young son told Anansi it would

be easier to climb the tree with the pot
tied to his back.
Two Tricksters
Compare and contrast Anansi’s
actions with those of Coyote in
“The Sticky Coyote,” Lesson 17,
Student Book page 442.
Answers: B, D, E, A, C
17
Cool or
In “The Girl Who Loved Spiders,” Luis thinks spiders
are creepy until he meets Ashanti. Then he discovers
that spiders are cool. Think about an animal that you
really like or dislike. What is it about the animal that
makes you feel the way you do? What details about
the animal come to mind?
Write a poem about the animal you chose, or
about an animal shown on these pages. Your
poem may rhyme or use rhythm, like the
poems on pages 14 and 15.
18
Creepy?
Use descriptive details that create a vivid picture.
Think about the following:
the animal’s appearance
the animal’s movements
how the animal sounds
how the animal feels to the touch
19
Lesson
27
“I’m tired of sitting on this log,” croaked a frog one sunny morning.
So he jumped out of his pond and hopped off to explore.
Before long, the frog reached a fence. “How curious,” he said. “I won-
der if it tastes good.” He flicked out his long tongue.
“Ugh!” he said.
The frog hopped along until he reached a brick path. “How curious,”
he said. “I wonder if it tastes good.” He flicked out his long tongue.
“Ick!” he said.
The frog kept hopping until he saw a barn. “How curious,” he said as
he hopped up to the door. Just then he heard a loud BZZZZ.
“It’s a fly!” cried the frog. “And after all this hopping, I’m hungry. “
The frog squeezed under the barn door. A big, fat
fly was flying overhead. “Yum!” said the frog as
he leaped into the air, but the fly
was fast and flew away.
20
The frog, though, didn’t land where he expected to.
“How curious,” said the frog. “I’ve landed in a pond with
white water and shiny silver banks.” Of course, it wasn’t
really a pond. It was a metal pail half-full of fresh milk.
The frog tried to climb out of the pail. But he just
kept sliding back into the milk. He swam and
splashed and kicked. He went faster and faster.
Then the frog noticed yellow globs floating
in the milk. “How curious,” he said. He went
on swimming and splashing and kicking. He
saw more yellow globs.
Before long there was a yellow hill in
the middle of the pail. All that kicking and
splashing and swimming had churned the
milk into butter!
The frog climbed up the butter hill and
jumped out of the pail. He hopped all the
way home.
The moral of the story:

Never give up.
The Science of Butter

Is making butter a chemical or a physical change? In
a chemical change, a new chemical substance forms.
Making butter is a physical change. The chemical makeup
of the milk doesn’t change. Churning simply makes drops
of fat in the milk stick together to form butter.
21
o a d
T by t h
e
R oa d
by Joanne Ryder
I’m only a toad

By the side of the road,
Watching the world go by.
Some hustle and hurry.
Some bustle and scurry.
Some wiggle, flicker, or fly.
They come and they go
On their way to and fro.
But I’d rather sit and sing.
It’s a glorious day,
So I’m happy to stay
And savor the songs of spring.
28
The
Poison-Dart
Frogs
by Douglas Florian
Brown with oval orange spots.

Crimson mottled black with blots.
Neon green with blue-black bands.
Tangerine with lemon strands.
Banana yellow.
Ultramarine.
Almost any color seen.
And though their poison can tip a dart,
These frogs are Masters of Fine Art.
29
The Frogs
and the Well
Two frogs lived in a small
Match the pond, but one hot summer it dried

up. While looking for a new home,
they came to a deep well.
MORAL
Three short frog fables follow,
“This looks like a cool, wet
place to live. Let’s dive in,” said
one frog.
“Not so fast, my friend. What
but the moral for each has if this well dries up like the
gotten separated from its pond? How would we
story. Match the moral get out?” replied the
to the fable it fits. Morals other frog.
• Look before you leap.
• Choose your friends wisely.
• Beauty is in the eye
of the beholder.
Frog and Toad Mouse, the

The
A frog and a toad were sitting Frog, and the Hawk
by a pond. Each thought himself A mouse and a frog were
handsome and the other ugly. friends. One day the frog thought
A girl passed by and saw the two. it would be fun to tie his leg to the
“Yuck!” she cried as she ran away, mouse’s. This was fine while they
disgusted by both. were in the meadow. Later, though,
the frog hopped to the pond
with the mouse. The poor mouse
couldn’t swim and drowned. A
passing hawk snatched them both
and flew to its nest. Still tied to the
mouse, the frog also became the
hawk’s dinner.
30
Word Relationships
An analogy is a comparison of two sets of words. Each set
of words has a similar relationship. Sometimes the words are
synonyms, with similar meanings. Sometimes they are
antonyms, with opposite meanings. The words in the example
analogy have opposite meanings.
Example: good is to bad as clean is to polluted
Use the words in the box to complete the analogies.
ancient extinct habitat major preserve
1 alive is to _______________ as right is to wrong

2 guard is to protect as save is to _______________
3 home is to neighborhood as pond is to _______________
4 old is to _______________ as new is to current
5 _______________ is to minor as large is to little
Hint:
Think about the
relationship of the
words to help you pick
the right answer.
31
and other amphibians
In “Amphibian Alert!” you learned about some of
the problems that amphibians are facing in the world
START today. Create a board game about amphibians that
are losing their home for one of the reasons given in
the article. Have the amphibians look for a new home.
After you have drawn up the plan for your
board game, write a set of instructions for how to
play the game.
Pond is
too small.
Lose one
turn.
32
Frog finds safe home
with clean water!
ISH
FIN
Start with a sentence that states what

the instructions are for.
List all necessary materials.
List each step in the game. Make sure
the steps are in the right order.
Tell how the game is won.
Remember to write each step in your

instructions as a complete sentence.
Deadly
fungus in
the area.
Pond is polluted
by chemicals. Return
Go back to start.
3 spaces.
African clawed
frogs live here.
Go back
2 spaces.
33
Lesson
28
M u s e u m s
Worlds of Wonder
Museums are wonderful places.

That doesn’t just mean “terrific places.” It means places
that fill you with wonder—that surprise and amaze you. It
also means places that make you wonder—about the world,
about nature, about history, about people.
How do museums do that? No two museums do it in the
same way. There are art museums, science museums, histori-
cal museums, and nature museums. There are museums that
focus on a single subject, like music boxes or postage stamps,
and there are museums that seem to go in dozens of different
directions at once.
Herea World
Museums is aofbrief
Wondertour of five museums that are very different
grade 4
from each other. But all of them are full of wonders.
Revise / Finish
Portland
Chicago
Washington, D.C.
St. Louis
Houston
Museum locations
34
Sue Carlson
609 971 6828
4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 34 5/16/2012 2:13:13 AM

City Museum of
St. Louis, Missouri
The first thing you should know about the City Museum
of St. Louis is that it is located in an old shoe factory. It’s no
surprise, then, that this museum believes in preserving the
past and recycling—making something new out of something
old. There’s also an amazing playground called MonstroCity
that’s made mostly of recycled materials from the city of St.
Louis, including giant metal springs, a castle turret, and the
body of a jet plane.
Artist Bob Cassilly designed the City Museum as a huge
work of art. Take the Enchanted Caves. Where shoes once
moved on conveyor belts through tunnels, children now run
into petrified dragons and climb spiral staircases. In Art City,
you can watch glass blowers at work, and make your own
work of art, too. Then there’s the museum inside the museum.
It’s called The Museum of Mirth, Mystery, and Mayhem and
it’s like an old-fashioned carnival. Finally, let’s not forget the
World Aquarium, home to more than 10,000 sea creatures,
from stingrays to seahorses.
35

National Air and
Space Museum
in Washington, DC
Are you interested in space and flight? Have you ever

wondered where the Wright Brothers’ original airplane is?
If so, then the National Air and Space Museum is the place for
you. It has the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in
the world.
Begin with the Milestones of Flight Exhibit. You’ll see the
Spirit of St. Louis, the first plane to be flown nonstop across
the Atlantic Ocean by a solo pilot. Want some faster fliers?
Check out the Airacomet, the first American jet, and the X-15,
which flew six times the speed of sound! Upstairs you’ll find
the airplane that made it all possible: the Flyer, which Orville
and Wilbur Wright first flew in
1903.
Next, let your imagination
soar into space. This museum
is home to Sputnik I, the first
satellite to successfully orbit
Earth, and the Apollo 11 com-
mand module, which carried the
first men to the moon. Here also
are replicas of spacecraft that
have flown to Mars, Venus, and
Jupiter.
The Albert Einstein
Planetarium lets you feel what
it might be like to zoom through
the galaxy. The Ride Simulator
takes you on a virtual space
walk. Finally, there is a real
moon rock you can touch
that the Apollo 17 astronauts
36 brought back.

Field Museum
in Chicago, Illinois
You could spend days exploring the Field Museum in the

city of Chicago. The museum contains more than twenty
million items, including mummies, meteorites, and mammals.
With so much to see, you might not have time to meet Sue.
That would be a mistake.
Sue is the largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found,
as well as the most complete. Sue is forty-two feet long with
more than two hundred bones—real bones, not plaster ones.
All except for Sue’s second skull. It’s a case of two heads being
better than one.
Sue’s five-foot-long skull was so big and heavy that the
museum staff had to put it in a glass case by itself. They
made a lighter model for the skeleton on display. You can put
your nose just inches from Sue’s real skull—if you dare. You
also can handle models of some of Sue’s bones, including a
huge tooth and a rib. By the way, Sue was named after Sue
Hendrickson, the woman who found “her” in South Dakota.
No one really knows if Sue is male or female.
37

World Forestry Center
and Discovery Museum
in Portland, Oregon
A museum that’s about trees? The World Forestry Center’s

Discovery Museum will make you appreciate forests more
than ever before—including forests around the world.
On the first floor of the museum, you can explore forests
that grow in the Pacific Northwest. You can discover what
lives under the forest and then take a ride to explore the tree-
tops. On another ride you can learn how smokejumpers fight
forest fires. The museum shows the many things that forests
provide, such as wood, water, habitat, and clean air.
On the second floor, a giant wall map tells about differ-
ent types of forests worldwide. Then you can see for yourself.
Take a train ride to the forests of Siberia and a boat ride to
a forest lake in China. Ride a jeep to visit forest animals in
South Africa. Look down on the canopy of Brazil’s Amazon
rainforest.
38

American Cowboy Museum
at Taylor-Stevenson Ranch
near Houston, Texas
Many museums are important for changing old ideas

people may have. Through hands-on exhibits, talks, and even
horseback riding, the American Cowboy Museum gives the
true history of a popular legend. There is a lot we can learn
about the American cowboy. For example, did you know that
as many as one-third of all cowboys were African Americans?
Many cowboys were Native Americans, and the first cowboys,
or vaqueros, were from Mexico. And of course, “cowboys” also
included women.
The museum is part of the Taylor-Stevenson Ranch,
which is 150 years old. It has been owned by generations of
an African American family. About fifty years ago, the family
started the museum to honor the part Native Americans,
African Americans, Hispanics, and women played in settling
the West. The founders, Mollie Stevenson, Jr. and her mother,
Mollie Stevenson, Sr. are also the first living African
Americans in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
39

T H E M O S T F R O M
M AK I N G
TR H
A S
Trash is a huge problem. We make mountains of it every day.
But there are three things we can do to help fix the
problem. First, we can REDUCE what we use.
Second, we can REUSE things, rather than just
throw them away. Third, we can RECYCLE.
Often one thing can be recycled into
something entirely different.
Flakes to Fleece
Did you know that plastic bottles can
have a second life as a fleece jacket?
Here’s how. The plastic bottles are
cleaned and chopped into flakes.
Later, the flakes are melted down
and squeezed into threads. Like
wool, the threads are spun into yarn
and woven into fleece. The fleece
can be sewn into a jacket, hat, or
a warm pair of socks. It takes
about twenty-five two-liter
plastic soda bottles to make
a jacket.
40
4_RNLESE865829_U6SA28.indd 40 5/16/2012 2:08:45 AM

Tires to Playgrounds
Where do all the old tires go? The lucky
ones are recycled into firm but bouncy
playground surfaces. Maybe you have felt how
comfortable it is to walk in a rubber-soled
shoe. Well, someone had the idea to chop up
old tires and mold the rubber pieces into a
squishy rubber surface for playgrounds. It
saves children from being hurt, it recycles
rubber, and it’s fun to play on! So go ahead
and bounce!
Milk Jugs to Chairs

Have you ever noticed the
number two inside a triangle on
the bottom of a milk jug? That
symbol means the milk jug could
have another life as a chair. Type
two plastic, also called HDPE,
gets recycled into all kinds of
sturdy furniture. It looks like
painted wood, but it will last
longer. You can even buy trash
cans made from recycled plastic.
How fitting is that?
41

D inosaur B one
by Alice Schertle
Dinosaur bone
alone, alone;
keeping a secret
old as stone
deep in the mud

asleep in the mud
tell me, tell me,
dinosaur bone
What was the world

when the seas were new
and ferns unfurled
and strange winds blew?
Were the mountains fire?

Were the rivers ice?
Was it mud and mire?
Was it paradise?
How did it smell,

your earth, your sky?
How did you live?
How did you die?
How long have you lain

alone, alone?
Tell me, tell me,
dinosaur bone.
42
4_RNLESE865829_U6P28.indd 42 5/16/2012 2:10:52 AM

Museum
Farewell
by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Lights out.
Doors close
on the cool quiet
of museum spaces;
echoing hallways,
locked cases—
room upon room
all silent now.
Amazing how
museums hold
an ancient secret,
a whispered spell.
Close these doors.
Lights out.
Farewell.
43
4_RNLESE865829_U6P28.indd 43 5/16/2012 2:11:09 AM

Museums often advertise to tell
people about new or special exhibits.
Create an ad for a real or imaginary
museum. You might design your ad
as a jingle to sing on the radio, a
billboard, or a poster. Include
in your ad three facts about the
museum a visitor would need to
know. Your ad might tell where
the museum is located, when it’s
open, and what its special exhibits
are. You could also include quotes
from people who have visited
the museum. For example, “Ed
Crowe” might say: “I think this
is the best museum I’ve ever
been to!”
44
4_RNLESE865829_U6RA28.indd 44 5/16/2012 2:08:04 AM

Im p o ss i b l e ?
N OT!
The poem below is about exploring with words.
However, some of its words are missing! The words in
the box have the prefixes im- and in-. On another sheet of
paper, use each word to fill in the blanks. Check the spell-
ing of the prefix and base word that make up each word.
inexpensive injustice independence
incredible immeasurable
Climb to the top of Mount Everest
And take in the ______________ view.
Explore the sea’s ______________ depths
With Captain Nemo and his daring crew.
March with Martin Luther King Jr.

to protest _____________ in our nation.
Listen to Thomas Jefferson speak
Of _____________ and unfair taxation.
Impossible! Improbable! Is that what you say?

Well, that’s incorrect! You can do it today.
Exploring can be _____________ .

It doesn’t have to cost you a dime.
All you need are two simple things:
An interesting book and some time!
Answers: incredible, immeasurable, injustice, independence, inexpensive
45

E XP R E S S
YOUR SELF!
Is your school or community doing what it can
to recycle its trash? Do you see ways that recycling
could be improved? Express your opinion, or yours
and a partner’s, in a letter to a leader of your school
or community.
Tell what ’s working or, if necessary, include your
own ideas to improve recycling efforts. For example,
maybe each classroom could have a bin for
recycling paper. Coming up with suggestions helps
support your opinion.
46
4_RNLESE865829_U6W28.indd 46 5/16/2012 2:09:03 AM

!
WRITING TIPS
• Begin your letter by giving
an example of the problem.
• State your opinion of the

situation.
• Be positive about how the

problem could be handled.
• Suggest possible solutions

and offer to help.
47
4_RNLESE865829_U6W28.indd 47 5/16/2012 2:09:20 AM

Lesson
29 Save Timber
Woods!
Cast of Characters
Narrator • Lucas • Laura
Gina • Hector
Scene I
Setting: The kitchen in Gina’s home on the edge of the woods
Narrator: Laura, Gina, Hector, and Lucas are researching a

current event for school. Gina is searching on a laptop.
The others are looking through newspapers.
Lucas: What if we do our report on gas prices?
Laura: Boring!
(Suddenly, Gina sees a deer outside in the yard.

She jumps up from her chair and dashes to the
kitchen door, shouting.)
Gina: Get out of there! Scram!
48

(Grabbing a broom, Gina charges out the door, waving the broom
and yelling as the deer runs away.)
Laura: Why did you yell at that deer, Gina? It was so cute.
Gina (Outraged) : Cute? Maybe, if you only see them once in a while;
but they’ve started to show up in our yard every day. They are
eating the tree we planted when my little sister was born!
Narrator: Gina points at a small tree on the lawn. Its branches are
nearly bare.
Gina (Calming down): Those deer and our neighborhood don’t go

together.
Hector: We have deer at my house, too. My dad says it’s because

the deer have no place to go. People are building homes where the
deer used to live. Now they have
to find food somewhere else.
Gina (In an annoyed voice) : Well,

not in my backyard.
49

Lucas: The poor deer lost their homes, Gina.
Gina: Well, my poor family is losing our favorite tree.
Hector (Holding up the newspaper he’s been looking through,

excitedly): Hey! Listen to this! Here’s an article that says the deer
problem is going to get worse. Land developers plan to cut down
Timber Woods, by the school. Our town government has been rent-
ing the woods from a private owner. Now the owner plans to sell it
to a developer who plans to build one hundred townhouses.
Laura: Timber Woods? That’s where we do fieldwork for science

class. That’s where we camp and have picnics.
Lucas: What about the animals who live there? More animals will
get kicked out of their homes.
Gina: More yards will be ruined by deer!
Hector: Well, at least we found a current event to report on.
Laura: I wish we could stop them from cutting down Timber

Woods.
50

Hector: Maybe it’s not too late. The paper says that people can
talk about the development plan at next week’s town council
meeting. Let’s ask our parents if we can go. Right now, let’s
find more information to put into our current events report.
Gina: Let’s get all the facts. That way we’ll have a good report
for class and good ideas for the council meeting.
Lucas: Maybe our friends will come to the meeting.
Narrator: The group presents its current events report and the
whole class gets excited. The class decides to ask the town’s
leaders to buy Timber Woods and preserve the land for both
animals and people.
51

Scene II
Setting: The next day, in the dining room of Gina’s home
Narrator: The four friends are making signs for the meeting.
Gina and Lucas are working on a large sign.
Laura: What is your sign going to say?
Gina and Lucas: “Save Timber Woods.”
Lucas: “Save the animals from us . . . ”
Gina: “. . . and save our yards from the animals!”
Hector: It’s about the woods, too. Remember that book we

read about the water cycle? It said that natural areas, such as
woods, help absorb water and prevent flooding when heavy
rains fall or snow melts. But how can I put that on a sign?
52

Laura: How about: “Woods and water—
important partners. Ask me why.”
Hector: Good idea! Then I can talk about it

when I give our statement.
Gina: It’s cool that the town council said you

could present a statement from us, Hector.
But how will the town ever get enough
money to buy the woods? I also heard my
mom talking about how much money the
city will get from new taxpayers who move
into the new houses.
Lucas: But the problems caused by

cutting the woods will cost money.
We have to help them see that.
Hector (Pointing at Lucas) : You’re right.

Instead of ignoring the issue of money, we
should show that we understand it. Let’s
do some more research so we know
the facts. And how about this for a sign:
“Saving Timber Woods saves dollars and
makes sense.”
Laura: At least the town will know how we

feel.
53

Scene III
Setting: A meeting room with rows of folding chairs, inside the

town hall
Hector: I’m nervous.
Laura: You’re going to be great, Hector. Look, I think that’s

the developer!
Hector: Maybe he could tear down those old Smithfield

warehouses and build homes there. Nobody has used those
buildings for a long time.
Lucas: Good idea. (Turning around) I think the meeting’s about to

start.
Narrator: The town council members soon introduce the

main topic: the sale of Timber Woods. People take turns
talking about the plan to build townhouses. Finally, it’s Hector’s
turn to speak. The audience listens closely as he explains why the
woods are so important, and what the students want the council
to do.
54

Hector (In a firm voice) : So, we ask the adults in town to join us in
finding a way to turn Timber Woods into protected parkland.
(He sits down as many people applaud.)
Narrator: After more debate, the council decides to delay the

sale of Timber Woods for three months. During that time, the
town will try to raise enough money to buy the woods. After
the meeting, the students get together.
Gina (In an excited voice) : They listened to us after all.
Laura: Now we have to help find ways to raise money.
Lucas: How about a bake sale?
Hector: That’s a good idea, but we’ll need to do more than that.
Laura: Let’s meet tomorrow.

Reading the Play
Gina: Let’s involve the whole class.
With a partner, describe the
Everyone will benefit if we can save
structural features of the play—
Timber Woods, so we should all
the scenes, dialogue, and stage
work together.
directions—and discuss how they
helped you follow the events.
55

FOLLOWING MUIR:
A Persuasive Essay
John Muir was a protector of nature. He
set an example that each of us can follow to
protect the natural areas around us.
The first way we can follow Muir’s
example is to discover our local natural
areas. Muir was a great walker. He once
walked one thousand miles from Indiana to
Florida. He also took a 250-mile walk from
San Francisco, California, to the Yosemite
(yoh SEH mih tee) Valley, in the heart of the
Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Another way to follow Muir is to learn
about nature. Muir loved to explore the
outdoors. He learned everything he could
about rocks, plants, and animals. From his
exploring, he came to realize that the
wilderness, places where people do not live or
build, is an important gift. Muir decided that
his life’s goal was to protect this gift.
56

Muir’s greatest example for us is his work to
protect nature. He shared its beauty by writing
John Muir Timeline
books. He climbed Yosemite’s towering peaks and 1838 Born in Scotland
described them as “clothed in light.” In winter, he
1849 Family moves to the
delighted in its “pearl-gray belt of snow.” However, United States
he also saw sheep eating Yosemite’s plants and
1867 Walks from Indiana to
people chopping down its trees for wood. Muir
Florida
gave talks and wrote books about these dangers.
President Theodore Roosevelt was so impressed 1868 Walks from San
Francisco to Yosemite
after hearing Muir that he visited Yosemite. In
Valley
1890, Roosevelt signed a bill making Yosemite a
national park. This meant that the U.S. 1890 Helps Yosemite
become a national
government would take care of it.
park
We can find our own pieces of nature to
explore, learn about, and protect. We can write to 1892 Forms the Sierra Club
our local newspapers about nature’s beauty and 1903 Camps with President
tell people how to help care Theodore Roosevelt in
for it. We can all follow in Yosemite
John Muir’s footsteps. 1912 Travels to South

America and Africa
1914 Dies of pneumonia on

December 24
Analyzing the Essay
On a sheet of paper, list
details the author used that
you think helped persuade
the reader. Explain to a
partner why you think so.
57

The
Comb of Trees
A Secret Sign Along the Way
By Claudia Lewis
Riding to Rock Creek As we draw near
for our picnics each time
we swing around I wonder—
a certain curve
it . . .?
and then I see it—
Is it . . .?
Standing high
Then we turn—
on a mountain ridge
a little row Yes! It’s there!
of firs, with trunks
No storm
tall and bare,
has wrecked my comb,
lined up one by one—
no lumberjack
a comb
has chopped it down—
against the sky.
All’s well
still
(a while?)
up there.
58
4_RNLESE865829_U6P29.indd 58 5/16/2012 2:16:49 AM

ART S
[illust
art of
creatu
[from
Surviv
Pleas
room
seen.
detail
NOTE
Pleas
up the
grass
place
poem
right n
Enjoy the Earth

Yoruba, Africa
Enjoy the earth gently
For if the earth is spoiled
It cannot be repaired
59
4_RNLESE865829_U6P29.indd 59 5/16/2012 2:17:02 AM

The Impact of
Life’s Events
Your timeline should end
with an arrow to show that
the line will continue.
1 st Spelling A timeline of a person’s life often

Bee includes events that impact or shape
the person. Look back at the essay
about John Muir. The timeline
1 st
shows important events that shaped
who he was. It also shows the
dates for when he was born and
when he died.
Create a timeline about
your life. Include the year of
your birth and four important
events in your life.
Write About It Choose

one event from your
timeline. Write a paragraph
telling about the event
and why it was important.
Your timeline begins with

Born
a point and gives the
date you were born.
60

Say I t d ow
Tear us es–
o
n
w i th a wa re h
NO TS!
S i g n Preserve
our
Picnic
W OO D
Place!
People use signs to show their feelings in a public

place, as the students do in “Save Timber Woods!”
The students want the town council to know how they
feel about the proposed sale of Timber Woods to a
developer. So they make signs that the people going to
the meeting will see.
Make a sign that the students in the story could
use to save Timber Woods. Or make a sign about a
local habitat you want to save. Try to make your
message clear in as few words as possible.
61

Try to See I
In “Save Timber Woods!” the
friends persuade a town to protect
a threatened woodland habitat.
The photos on these pages show
four common woodland animals.
Choose one, or a different animal
whose habitat might be in danger.
Write a persuasive essay explain-
ing why it is important to protect
the animal’s home. Use “Following
Muir: A Persuasive Essay” as a
model for writing your essay.
Be sure to include the following:

• an introductory paragraph that
states the point you will be making
• at least three reasons or examples
that support that point
• one paragraph for each reason or
example
• a concluding paragraph that
restates the point you have made
62
4_RNLESE865829_U6W29.indd 62 5/16/2012 2:14:37 AM

e It My Way!
63
4_RNLESE865829_U6W29.indd 63 5/16/2012 2:14:58 AM

Lesson
30
Once a week, Ms. Cabrera’s had streaks of red near each eye.
science class spent an afternoon “Brownie? Are you wearing
outside, working in teams to observe makeup?” From what Adrian could see,
different habitats. Adrian, Mara, and the turtle’s shell looked different, too.
Nicole were assigned pond patrol. Today it was green with yellow stripes.
Adrian wondered if his team had gotten
the best assignment because of his
extra-sharp eyes.
Reed’s Pond lay at the end of a
shady, sloping path. Pine trees towered
overhead. Bushes and moss-covered
rocks rimmed the shore. Adrian had been
the first one in class to spot the turtle at
the pond—even though its brown shell
and wrinkled skin blended in perfectly
with its surroundings.
“Here, Brownie . . . here, Brownie,”
Adrian whispered as he approached the
water’s edge. But today, the turtle that
peeked from the water looked different.
Instead of a little brown face, this one
64

The girls hurried over. When the They continued their pond patrol,
turtle came up for another breath, but Adrian had a strange feeling that
Nicole noticed the changes, too. something wasn’t right. Sure enough,
“That’s not Brownie. That’s a his hunch was correct.
different kind of turtle,” she said. “Its “Look!” Mara shouted. She was
name should be Red Dot.” pointing at a bird’s nest or what used
“Maybe Brownie’s somewhere to be a bird’s nest.
else,” said Mara. Just last week they had written
about the nest in their logs. It was a
carefully made cup of sticks nestled
in a low-hanging branch. There had
been three brown eggs in it. Now
the branch was broken. The bowl
was squashed into a messy ball.
“Where are the eggs?”
asked Nicole.
Adrian crouched under the
branch, which jutted out over
some rocks at the water’s edge.
He saw one egg smashed into a
crevice between two rocks. He
couldn’t see any sign of the other
two eggs.
65

“Do you think an animal did this to The weather on Saturday was sunny
the nest?” Nicole wondered. and warm, but no one else was at the
“An animal couldn’t have turned pond. Nicole, Mara, and Adrian scanned
Brownie into Red Dot,” said Adrian. the area. Adrian soon found the new
“And an animal wouldn’t have left turtle. It sat basking on a rock at the
this,” said Mara. She held up edge of the water. When it saw the three
a shopping bag that she had found. children, it quickly slid into the water.
“There’s lettuce in it. Maybe it’s The ripples spread and soon faded. Then
a clue.” Adrian, Mara, and Nicole went to
“A clue to what?” asked Nicole. investigate the bird’s nest. The clump of
Ms. Cabrera’s whistle blew. It was sticks remained, but there were no new
time to go back to class. clues about what had destroyed the nest
“We need to do some more inves- or where the two eggs had gone.
tigating,” said Mara. “Let’s meet here
Saturday, when we have more time.”
Many turtles like to bask, or
warm themselves, in the sun.
66

“This is the case of the missing backpack and pulled out a turtle
turtle and eggs,” Mara said. whose shell was as big as a plate.
“Shh,” whispered Adrian. He could It was bright green, with yellow
hear leaves crunching on the path. and green markings on the belly.
“Someone’s coming. Hide!” Suddenly the turtle’s head shot
The three crouched in the bushes. out of the shell and snapped at
Through the leaves, they could see a the boy’s wrist. The boy dropped
teenaged boy wearing a blue backpack. the turtle into the pond. The splash
At the edge of the pond, the boy swung it rang out as loud as a slap. Adrian
from his shoulder and knelt down. Adrian saw the red dashes on the turtle’s
held his breath. He could hear his heart face.
beating. Had the boy noticed them? The boy darted back up the
The boy seemed to think he was path and quickly vanished.
alone, however. He reached into his
67

“So that’s where Red Dot came “I just want to ask you about the turtle,”
from,” whispered Nicole. Mara said.
“Red Dot was already here on “I don’t know what you’re talking
Thursday, though,” said Adrian. “This is about,” the boy said. “I don’t know any-
the same kind of turtle, but it’s not the thing about turtles.” He got on his bike.
same turtle. Also, what about Brownie? “We just saw you drop one into the
Where’s he?” pond!” Mara shouted. It didn’t matter.
“We’ve got to talk to that boy,” said The boy pedaled off without looking
Mara. “Come on.” Adrian wasn’t sure it back.
was a good idea, but Mara was already “Something fishy is going on,”
running up the path. He and Nicole Nicole said.
followed. “Something turtle-y, you mean,”
“Excuse me!” Mara called out when replied Adrian.
she reached the field. The boy turned to “I think it’s time for a little research,”
look but kept striding toward his bike. said Mara.
68

Red-eared sliders are
popular pets.
On Monday, they told Ms. Cabrera With a few more mouse-clicks,

what they had seen. During science, the students learned that the
she gave them time to research on the turtles were common pets. They
computer. Mara typed the words red dot also learned that the red-eared
turtle into the search engine. Links for slider’s natural habitat was east
turtleneck sweaters, Turtle Island, and a of the Rocky Mountains. “So
video game came up. what is one doing in a pond in
“This won’t help,” said Nicole. California?” asked Nicole.
“Don’t give up yet,” said Mara. She Mara typed red-eared slider in
typed in red turtle. That was better. Lots California into the search engine.
of listings appeared for a turtle called a Among the listings of turtles
red-eared slider. The first thing Mara did for sale and questions about pet
was to click on the images. turtles, they saw an article from a
“That’s it!” said Adrian, as a photo California paper. The three of them
appeared. “That’s Red Dot, all right.” read silently.
69

The article told about people “We’ll take them to a turtle sanctu-
dumping their pet turtles into local ary,” Mr. Roberts explained. “It’s a place
waters and the problems that occurred where they keep the turtles safe until
as a result. “Mystery solved!” said Mara. someone can adopt them.”
“Ms. Cabrera!” they called. While Mr. Roberts talked, Adrian
“It looks like the pond patrol might was looking for his old friend.
have uncovered some illegal activity,” “Brownie!” said Adrian when he saw
Ms. Cabrera said when they told her the head peek up. “Look, Mr. Roberts.
what they had learned. “Let’s report it to That’s the turtle I’m used to seeing.”
the water district.” “That’s a western pond turtle. It’s
That Thursday, Ms. Cabrera’s class just the kind of turtle we want to see
had a special observation day at the around here.”
pond. Mr. Roberts, an officer from the “I never knew what kind he was.
water district, was with them. He had I just knew I liked him,” said Adrian.
brought nets for capturing the red- Western pond turtle, he wrote in his log.
eared sliders. Adrian spotted the first
one, basking near the ruined bird’s nest.
Working together, the class helped Mr.
Western pond turtles live in California,
Roberts catch two more.
Oregon, and Washington.
70

“We got the sliders out just in time. “Thanks for helping us save the
Red-eared sliders are big. They eat the native species,” Mr. Roberts told
same things as the western pond turtles, the class. “I have something for
and the western pond turtles can’t Adrian, Mara, and Nicole.”
compete,” said Mr. Roberts. He handed them each an
“What about the bird eggs?” asked envelope and a patch that said
Nicole. “Did the turtles have anything to Water District with a picture of a
do with those?” river.
“Probably, but we can’t be sure,” “The water district invites
said Mr. Roberts. “Red-eared sliders like you to be its first junior officers,”
to bask on nests. They can squash the Mr. Roberts said. “We’d also like
nests and crush the eggs.” to offer each of you a scholarship
“That’s another reason why people to ecology camp this summer. You
shouldn’t leave their pets here,” said Ms. can talk it over with your parents.”
Cabrera. She was posting a sign on a “Thanks!” said Adrian. He’d
tree. DON’T DUMP YOUR PETS. BRING never thought his sharp eyes would
PET TURTLES TO VALLEY TURTLE actually help wildlife survive.
SANCTUARY.
71

A Dangerous
A Big P
Predator
Pythons come from Asia and
Africa and are among the longest
snakes in the world. They can grow to be
more than twenty feet long—longer than a large
pickup truck. Their bodies can be as thick as a telephone pole.
Pythons’ mouths can stretch so wide they can swallow prey as
large as deer and alligators.
Surprisingly, baby pythons are
popular pets in this country. But
pythons grow quickly. In a year, a tiny
baby can become an eight-foot long
snake. As time passes, it grows even
bigger. Many owners have trouble
caring for such large, dangerous
animals. Sometimes, they take their
snake and leave it in the wild.
In most areas of the United
States, pythons wouldn’t have enough
warmth, water, or space to survive.
Places like southern Florida, though,
have a perfect climate for pythons.
Because of this, pythons are causing Adult pythons can weigh
serious trouble in Florida’s Everglades up to 200 pounds.
National Park.
72

g P y t h o n P r o ble m
Can the Problem Be Solved?
Scientists are not sure how many pythons are in the
Everglades, but they estimate that there are thousands. The big
snakes eat the animals that make their natural home in the park.
Some of these animals are endangered, such as the Key Largo
cotton mouse and the white ibis, a water bird. Pythons have also
eaten the pets of people who live in the area.
Park officials are trying to solve this
big problem. They are using different
methods to capture pythons. They have
tried using radio transmitters to lure
snakes to places where they can be
caught. And they have even trained
a dog to help. “Python Pete” is a
beagle that can smell pythons and
alert humans to their presence.
Python Pete is doing a good job.
But people have to learn not to buy exotic
pets they cannot take care of. Teaching
people to think through their pet-buying
decisions is also part of the fight against
the python.
Python Pete has been

trained to pick up the
scent of pythons.
73

Naming the
Turtle by Patricia Hubbell
Slowpod, Clicktoe
Weightlifter, and Stare-eye,
Housemover, Budhead
Homelover. and Stemneck.
Seaflipper, Nob-bob and

Rainstopper, Lookslow,
Pond-land- Spotback
and-stream-dweller. and Ridgetop.
Platepacker, Plod-plod
Boneback, and Plopplop,
Hardshell
Logloving
and Softhat.
Rockstone.
74
4_RNLESE865829_U6P30.indd 74 5/16/2012 2:21:07 AM

Greater Flamingo
by Tony Johnston
Pale as the pink lip

of a shell, it drinks from its
cool green reflection
75
4_RNLESE865829_U6P30.indd 75 5/16/2012 2:21:18 AM

You Be The
Detective
Read about the events below. From the set of clues,
draw a conclusion about what happened.
The Missing Clown Fish
Clues
The Ringling School’s Grade 4 class • The school’s night janitor
has a saltwater aquarium. It contains says the clown fish
an eel and three large angelfish. On looked fine at 7:00 p.m.
Monday, a family donates two colorful • Roy Gee says he’ll be the
clown fish. On Tuesday morning, Roy Gee, other clown fish’s friend.
“the class clown,” reports one clown fish • The three large angelfish
missing. What happened? are still in the aquarium
and look no different.
• The eel does not eat its
regular frozen shrimp on
Tuesday morning.
• A book about the care of
eels is unopened. In fact,
it’s covered with a layer
of dust.
being eaten by the eel.

the danger. Angelfish are big enough to avoid
hadn’t read the eel book, they didn’t realize
The eel ate the clown fish. Because the class
76

CYohuroWoosrdes
Using just the right word can help a reader understand
exactly how something looks, sounds, acts, or feels.
The following Found Pet announcement is on a bulletin
board. You finish it. On a piece of paper, write a list of words
and phrases to fill in the blanks. Make sure they describe the
pet and other details exactly.
Have you lost a ______ snake?

I found a snake in ______. The snake looks ______. When I
try to hold it, the snake ______. I think it is feeling ______. I
think it may be a python, because it ______. The only sound it
makes is ______. I’m keeping the snake in ______. Hurry!
Found House
Snake For
Rent Yard
Sale
24 Oak St.
77

H aving a pet can be hard work.
Sometimes pet owners can’t take
care of their pets any longer but don’t know
what to do with them. You’ve read about
some problems this causes.
Search on the Internet for information about

how to care for pets properly. Then write an
essay of at least three paragraphs that an
animal shelter employee might hand out to
someone thinking about caring for a pet.
78
4_RNLESE865829_U6W30.indd 78 5/16/2012 2:16:51 AM

Do I have
time to care
for a pet?
Here are some tips:

Start with an introduction to Give examples of problems
possible pet owners. Encourage that can be caused when
them to think about whether people abandon their pets
owning a pet is right for them. (problems for the pet, for
End the essay with a conclusion the environment, and for
that sums up your ideas. animal shelters).
Give examples of the responsi- Use a variety of sentence types
bilities of pet ownership (food, and clear transitions between
water, shelter, exercise). paragraphs.
79
4_RNLESE865829_U6W30.indd 79 5/16/2012 2:16:56 AM

Credits
Photo Credits
KEY: (t) top, (b) bottom, (l) left, (r) right, (c) center, (bg) background, (fg) foreground, (i) inset
Cover (cl) Peter Hvizdak/The Image Work; (bg) Chad Ehlers/Alamy; (bl) Juniors Bildarchiv/photolibrary; Title Page
(cr) Chad Ehlers/Alamy; (b) Tina Manley/Alamy; 1 (br) Getty Images/PhotoDisc; 2 (tl) Angelo Cavalli/AGE Fotostock;
2 (cl) Angela Hampton Picture Library/Alamy; 3 (cr) Martin Harvey/Getty Images; (tr) Tony Fagan/Alamy; 7 (bc)
Jason Edwards/National Geographic Image Collection; 8 (b) SuperStock; 11 (b) David M. Dennis/Oxford Scientific/
photolibrary; 12 (bl) Johnny Greig/Alamy; 13 (bl) Tom Pennington/Newscom; (tr) Georgette Douwma/Getty Images; 16
(b) Chad Ehlers/Alamy; (bc) Mauritius/SuperStock; 18 (br) Getty Images/PhotoDisc; 19 (cr) Getty Images/PhotoDisc;
(bl) Getty Images/PhotoDisc; 22 (bg) Siede Preis/Getty Images; (t) Angelo Cavalli/AGE Fotostock; (bl) Siede Preis/Getty
Images; (br) Siede Preis/Getty Images; 23 (b) Brand X Pictures/AGE Fotostock; (t) Klaus Honal/AGE Fotostock; 24
(bg) Siede Preis/Getty Images; (bl) Siede Preis/Getty Images; (t) Paul Oomen/Getty Images; 25 (b) George Grall /Getty
Images; (br) Siede Preis/Getty Images; (t) Stan Osolinski/Corbis; 26 (t) Ian Waldie/Getty Images; (bl) Siede Preis/Getty
Images; (bg) Siede Preis/Getty Images; 27 (r) Ian Waldie/Getty Images; (l) Ian Waldie/Getty Images; 30 (cr) Stockbyte/
Getty Images; (b) Stockbyte/Getty Images; (bl) Stockbyte/Getty Images; (c) Stockbyte/Getty Images; 31 MedioImages/
Corbis; 35 (t) AP Photo/James A. Finley; 36 (b) William S. Kuta/Alamy; 37 (t) Stephen McBrady/PhotoEdit; 38 (t) Andre
Jenny/Alamy; 39 (bc) William Manning/Corbis; (bl) Andre Jenny/Alamy; 40 (b) Angela Hampton Picture Library/Alamy;
41 (b) Bill Freeman / PhotoEdit; (t) Tina Minale/Alamy; 44 (b) Tannen Maury/The Image Works Image; 45 (tr) Bettmann/
Corbis; (br) Corbis SYGMA; (cr) Oliver Maire/Keystone/Corbis; 46 (b) Park Street / PhotoEdit; 56 (b) Tina Manley/
Alamy; (cr) Bettmann/Corbis; 57 (bl) AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli; 62 (bl) Gary Vestal/Getty Images; 63 (cl) Comstock
Images/Getty Images; (cr) Tony Fagan/Alamy; (br) Joe McDonald/Corbis; 66 (b) Juniors Bildarchiv/photolibrary; 69 (t)
Leszczynski, Zigmund / Animals Animals - Earth Scenes; 70 (b) Mike Dobel / Alamy; 72 (t) Martin Harvey/Getty Images;
72 (br) Alistair Berg/Digital Vision/Getty Images; 73 (b) AP Photo/J. Carter; 77 (b) Artville/Getty Images
All other photos are property of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
80
4_RNLESE865829_RAEM.indd 80 5/17/2012 2:25:14 PM

MUSEUM
WONDERS
Mystery of the
MISSING TURTLE
1503619
1503619-LV 4

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MUSEUM

4_RNLESE865829_U6TOC.indd 1 5/17/2012 2:20:46 PM

4_RNLESE865829_U6TOC.indd 2 5/17/2012 2:20:56 PM

4_RNLESE865829_U6TOC.indd 3 5/17/2012 2:21:24 PM

Many crab spiders

The brown recluse

Strange, but True!

Alone in woods, I hunt

I come back feeling

Where would you make your web?

Write two or more sentences explaining how

B. Anansi the spider had all the world’s

C. The pot broke. People found bits of

D. Greedy Anansi decided to hide the pot of

E. Anansi’s young son told Anansi it would

Think about the following:

the animal’s appearance

the animal’s movements

how the animal sounds

how the animal feels to the touch

The moral of the story:

The Science of Butter

I’m only a toad

Brown with oval orange spots.

Match the pond, but one hot summer it dried

Frog and Toad Mouse, the

Use the words in the box to complete the analogies.

ancient extinct habitat major preserve

1 alive is to _______________ as right is to wrong

Start with a sentence that states what

Remember to write each step in your

Museums are wonderful places.

4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 34 5/16/2012 2:13:13 AM

4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 35 5/16/2012 2:13:25 AM

Are you interested in space and flight? Have you ever

4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 36 5/16/2012 2:13:38 AM

You could spend days exploring the Field Museum in the

4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 37 5/16/2012 2:13:51 AM

A museum that’s about trees? The World Forestry Center’s

4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 38 5/16/2012 2:14:05 AM

Many museums are important for changing old ideas

4_RNLESE865829_U6LA28.indd 39 5/16/2012 2:14:19 AM

4_RNLESE865829_U6SA28.indd 40 5/16/2012 2:08:45 AM

Milk Jugs to Chairs

4_RNLESE865829_U6SA28.indd 41 5/16/2012 2:09:10 AM

deep in the mud

What was the world

Were the mountains fire?

How did it smell,

How long have you lain

4_RNLESE865829_U6P28.indd 42 5/16/2012 2:10:52 AM

Close these doors.

4_RNLESE865829_U6P28.indd 43 5/16/2012 2:11:09 AM

4_RNLESE865829_U6RA28.indd 44 5/16/2012 2:08:04 AM

March with Martin Luther King Jr.

Impossible! Improbable! Is that what you say?

Exploring can be _____________ .

Answers: incredible, immeasurable, injustice, independence, inexpensive

4_RNLESE865829_U6RA28.indd 45 5/16/2012 2:08:13 AM