HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. K-Lesson 7Can whales sing? Some people say they can. Scientists have learned that
whales can make sounds that are like singing. A whale song can last up to
thirty minutes. Whales use these songs to talk to each other.
Scientists record different whale songs, or calls. Then they listen to the
recordings and study the sounds. The scientists are trying to learn whether
the calls mean something. Whale calls are extremely loud. The loud calls
help the whales hear other whales from very far away. Some scientists
believe that whales are able to have conversations across long distances.
Whales use their calls to talk to each other. Some whales also use sounds
to help them fi nd things underwater. A Beluga whale, for example, makes
clicking sounds and then listens for an echo. An echo happens when sound
bounces off something and comes back to whatever made the sound. A
Beluga whale uses this echo to fi nd food to eat, like fi sh and shrimp. The
echo also helps this whale stay away from objects that could be dangerous,
such as the bottoms of boats. The Beluga whale knows the difference
between the echo sounds, and it knows just what to do when it hears
each sound.
Sounds are very important to whales. Have you ever tried to talk to a
friend in a crowded room full of noises? Sometimes, sounds from people
make it harder for whales to hear their own sounds. The boats that people
drive create noise underwater. All this noise can make it harder for whales
to talk to each other. The quieter it is in the water, the easier it is for whales
to hear each other sing.
COMPREHENSION How do whales talk to each other? Which words
tell about the sounds whales make?
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Mom is on her way to a meeting for work. As she runs out the door, she talks
to Jim in a quiet voice. “Please tell your older brother to rake the leaves while
I’m gone,” she says.
Jim nods. Then he goes to fi nd his older brother, Dennis. Jim says to Dennis,
“Mom has a message for you: Take the leaves while she’s gone.”
“Take the leaves?” asks Dennis. “Where am I supposed to take the leaves?”
“I don’t know, but it’s your job now,” says Jim.
“I’ll ask our sister to do it,” says Dennis. He fi nds his older sister, Karen. He
says to her, “Mom has a message for you: Please take the leaves.”
Karen is listening to music. “What does that mean?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but it’s your job now,” he says.
“Bake with peas?” Karen asks. “Why would Mom want me to bake with
peas?” But Dennis has already left the room.
Karen is in high school. She always does what Mom asks her to do. So Karen
goes to look in the kitchen. She fi nds several cans of peas. She fi nds some
butter, sugar, and fl our, and she gets ready to bake. Karen thinks to herself
that when Mom gets home, she will be happy that Karen did what she asked.
Karen mixes up cookie batter with peas. She bakes the cookies in the oven.
Jim and Dennis come into the kitchen. Karen is taking the cookies with peas
out of the oven. The whole kitchen smells like burned peas.
“What’s that terrible smell?” asks Jim. Dennis wrinkles his nose.
“I’m baking with peas, just like Mom asked,” Karen answers.
When Mom gets home, she smells the peas right away. “What’s going on?”
asks Mom.
“I got your message and did what you asked, Mom: Bake with peas,”
says Karen with a big smile.
Mom looks confused for a minute. She starts to giggle, and then she laughs
out loud. Mom says, “What a message mix-up!”
COMPREHENSION What are some ways the family shares their
thoughts and feelings? What does Mom really want her children to do?
What do you think Jim will do the next time Mom gives him a message?
The Mixed-Up Message
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