HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 1-Lesson 25The little tree stood between two houses. It leaned slightly to one side, and
its leaves looked dry and cracked. Its bark was peeling away, and its branches
were too weak for people to climb. But no one seemed to mind. In fact, no one
seemed to see the tree at all.
But two girls cared about this tree. Andrea lived in the house on one side
of the tree. Sandra lived in the house on the other side. Sandra’s family had
just moved to the neighborhood. These girls were the same age, but they had
never met.
One morning, Sandra walked toward the tree. She had fl ower seeds in one
hand and a hose in the other. She planned to plant the seeds around the tree.
Just then, she saw Andrea coming toward the tree, too. Andrea was pulling a
small cart that held a rake and a big bag of soil. When they saw each other
heading for the same spot, the two girls laughed aloud.
Sandra announced, “Let’s make this our tree and take care of it together!”
Over the summer, they watered and fed the tree. It slowly grew stronger
and taller. Its leaves turned a rich green color, and birds began to nest in its
branches. Neighbors remarked on how nice the tree looked.
While they worked, the girls had lots of conversations. Sandra had moved
here from another country. She spoke English well, but she still pronounced
some of her words differently. Andrea didn’t make fun of her. Instead, she
enjoyed telling Sandra about the neighborhood. Andrea told her about the
best places to ride bikes, and she warned her about the hornet’s nest in the
park.
By the end of the summer, the girls had become best friends. They had a
discussion about how healthy the tree had become and how it had brought
them together. “Let’s name this tree the Friendship Tree,” Sandra said.
Andrea agreed, saying, “That sounds perfect.”
COMPREHENSION How do Sandra and Andrea take care of the tree?
Which words help you understand different ways of speaking?
Tree Friends
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Nature is all around us. It doesn’t matter if you live in a tiny town or a big
city, all you need to do is look outside your door. Outside, you’ll see many
different kinds of plants and animals. You’ll also see many kinds of animal
behavior. Have you seen trees and shrubs or birds and bugs? Have you seen
squirrels and deer or frogs and fi sh? All of these living things are our friendly
neighbors from the natural world. They are all part of what we call wildlife.
Many people have helped create better homes, or habitats, for wildlife in
their own backyards. You can do it, too! It’s easy. First, you can add plants to
your yard. You can plant fl owers, trees, and other vegetation. These plants will
provide food and shelter for the animals nearby. If you don’t have a backyard,
that’s fi ne, too. You can use a window box instead. A window box is a special
container that holds soil and plants. You can place your window box outside
your window. Insects and birds will love it.
Some people also like to use bird feeders. Bird feeders are containers that
hold seeds that birds like to eat. You can hang a bird feeder from a tree, a
porch, or another good spot. First, fi nd out what kinds of birds live in your
area. Next, fi nd out what kinds of seeds they like to eat. Then, fi ll your bird
feeder with those kinds of seeds. Be sure that your bird feeder is always clean.
That way, the birds that eat from it will always stay healthy.
Our wild neighbors live in all kinds of climates—from wet and cold climates
to hot and dry climates. No matter the weather, we can help all living things
survive by making sure their environments stay healthy. With just a little effort,
we can all make a huge difference!
COMPREHENSION What new words did you learn about nature? What
things can you do to help your wild neighbors?
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