HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. K-Lesson 1A mother bear has a very important job. She must care for the helpless
baby cubs. She must feed them, keep them warm, and protect them from the
many dangers in the world.
Mother bears are called sows. Each sow has between one and three cubs in
a litter. A litter is the name for all the babies that are born at the same time.
Sometimes a sow may have four cubs in one litter!
Most bear cubs are born during the winter months. When they are fi rst born,
the cubs don’t have very much fur, and they only weigh about a pound—which
is about what a book weighs. The bear cubs stay with their mother inside their
den for the next several weeks. They snuggle up to their mother to keep warm.
When spring comes, the cubs are ready for some adventures outside. By this
time, they are covered with soft, thick fur, and they weigh about four or fi ve
pounds. The mother leads the cubs outside their den in search of food. The
mother bear stays very close to her cubs. She is a very watchful parent. She
knows her babies still need a lot of protection.
As the cubs grow, they spend a lot of time running and chasing each other.
They love their play time, but they also have many things to learn. Their
mother is the teacher. She shows her cubs how to fi sh and fi nd other food. She
shows them where and how to make their dens so they will have somewhere to
live. Also, a mother bear must teach her cubs to climb trees. A cub can escape
many dangers by climbing to the top of a tree. These are all very important
skills that the bear cubs must learn in order to take care of themselves.
The bear cubs stay with their mother and learn from her for about two
years. After that time, they are ready to move away from their mother and
be grownup bears. Soon they will have cubs of their own. They will teach their
cubs everything they learned from their mother bear!
COMPREHENSION Which words tell about the mother bear? In what
ways is a bear family like your family? In what ways is it different?
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Maya was excited. It was Thanksgiving Day and many of her aunts,
uncles, cousins, and grandparents were coming to visit. They would all eat
Thanksgiving dinner together. Mama was cooking a big turkey. There would be
lots of other good food, too. Maya couldn’t wait to taste the potatoes, squash,
corn, and cranberries. It would be a big feast!
Soon the house fi lled up with people. Maya looked around the crowded
room. “Where will everyone sit for dinner?” she wondered. “Our table is not
big enough for all these family members.”
Mama looked worried. She said to Maya, “Is your cousin Warren here yet?
We can’t serve dinner until Warren gets here.”
Uncle Ed said, “Warren will be here. You can count on my son.”
Maya went out on the front steps to watch for Warren. At last, she saw
Warren’s truck coming down the street. Maya ran inside. She shouted, “Warren
is coming, Mama!”
Mama looked happy. She rushed back toward the kitchen. “Let’s get the
food on the table,” she said.
Warren came in the front door. He was carrying a folding chair and a
folding tray table. “Who can help me?” Warren asked. “I’ve got lots more
chairs and tables in my truck.”
Everyone formed a line from the truck to the house. Some people took
the chairs and tables from the truck. They passed them on to the next people
in line, all the way into the house. Inside, other people set up the chairs
and tables.
When everything was set up, Mama gave Warren a hug. “Thank you,
Warren! Because of you, everyone has a place to eat Thanksgiving dinner.”
COMPREHENSION What words describe the family getting together at
Thanksgiving? How did Warren help the family celebrate Thanksgiving?
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