Name: Vocabulary: City Critters

Name: Vocabulary: City Critters Word Bank biologist laboratories migrating skyscrapers observation urban critter island exhaust pollution Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank: Use 9 of the words above, once each. Peregrine Powell, Scientist I’m Peregrine Powell, and I have one of the most important jobs in the world. I’m a

(noun). I study plants and animals and I even get paid to do it! I

work to save animals that might be killed by the waste and (noun)

that we humans put into their world. Even the air is filled with (noun)

from all the cars we drive! It makes me so sad to see animals and plants that used to live here in

this city die out because we people think we’re so important that we can just use their habitat

to build (noun), tall buildings full of offices. Where do we think

the animals will go? If we use up all the space where animals and plants used to live, and if they

can’t adapt to life in our (adj) cities and towns, where will the animals go?

Luckily, some animals can find places to live in cities. I went out to New York City

recently, to watch a flock of geese as they were (verb), flying south for

the winter. It was a beautiful sight to see them, maybe 30 geese flying in a “V” over the city. I

watched them from a big park in the middle of the city as they landed on an

(noun) in the middle of a lake in the park. It was one of the few

places in the city where there was any water. They began swimming in the water and eating

plants around the edge of the pond, when suddenly, I saw a small furry

(noun) creeping softly toward one of the geese! It was a cat looking for dinner, probably someone’s pet that had become lost in the park and had learned to hunt. I had to stop my (noun) of the geese! I couldn’t just keep watching them carefully when their lives were in danger! “Look out!” I shouted to the geese. Of course they didn’t understand, but the sudden noise was enough to scare them into flying off. “Have a good flight!” I whispered to them as they flew away. “Come back again soon.” ©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com Answer key Vocabulary: City Critters Word Bank biologist laboratories migrating skyscrapers observation urban critter island exhaust pollution Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank: Use 9 of the words above, once each. Peregrine Powell, Scientist I’m Peregrine Powell, and I have one of the most important jobs in the world. I’m a

biologist (noun). I study plants and animals and I even get paid to do it! I work to save

animals that might be killed by the waste and pollution (noun) that we humans put into

their world. Even the air is filled with exhaust (noun) from all the cars we drive! It

makes me so sad to see animals and plants that used to live here in this city die out because we

people think we’re so important that we can just use their habitat to build skyscrapers (noun),

tall buildings full of offices. Where do we think the animals will go? If we use up all the space

where animals and plants used to live, and if they can’t adapt to life in our urban (adj)

cities and towns, where will the animals go?

Luckily, some animals can find places to live in cities. I went out to New York City

recently, to watch a flock of geese as they were migrating (verb), flying south for the

winter. It was a beautiful sight to see them, maybe 30 geese flying in a “V” over the city. I

watched them from a big park in the middle of the city as they landed on an

island (noun) in the middle of a lake in the park. It was one of the few places in the

city where there was any water. They began swimming in the water and eating plants around the

edge of the pond, when suddenly, I saw a small furry critter (noun) creeping softly

toward one of the geese! It was a cat looking for dinner, probably someone’s pet that had

become lost in the park and had learned to hunt. I had to stop my observation (noun) of

the geese! I couldn’t just keep watching them carefully when their lives were in danger! “Look out!” I shouted to the geese. Of course they didn’t understand, but the sudden noise was enough to scare them into flying off. “Have a good flight!” I whispered to them as they flew away. “Come back again soon.” ©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com Answer key Vocabulary: City Lots Word Bank discarded habitat dwellings hover examine portion flourishing sensitive fragrant stalk absorb stout adorn sycamore Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use 12 of the words above, once each. On a lazy summer day last August, I was bored. There was nothing to do, and it was too hot to do anything even if there had been something to do! I was tired of watching the flies hover (verb) over the garbage can, buzzing so loudly as they circled the disgusting mess that I could hear them nearly a block away. I walked by the garbage cans and past some old sofas that someone in our apartment building had

discarded (verb), leaving them out on the sidewalk, hoping that someone would take them away.

Two blocks from my house, there was a vacant lot I liked to play in, but today it was so hot, I didn’t really want to do anything. I sat down in the shade of a sycamore (noun) tree and leaned against its stout (adj), thick trunk. I’d never really looked at the lot carefully before, but now I began to notice all kinds of interesting plants flouishing (verb), growing strong and healthy, in the lot. Next to my hand, in fact was a tiny purple flower poking out of the earth. I began to examine (verb) it, looking at it carefully to see the perfect tiny petals of the flower. It smelled wonderful, fragrant (adj), kind of like my grandmother’s house.

Lavender! That was what it was. Grandmother always used it to adorn (verb) her house, decorating it with the lavender because she liked the relaxing smell. I stood up suddenly, spilling my bottle of water. The ground was dry and I watched the dirt absorb (verb) the water, turning as darker shade of brown as the water soaked in. I’d never noticed all the things I could see in this lot before! It was a perfect habitat (noun), a wonderful place for ants and beetles to live. I watched the ants marching in and out of their tunnels in neat lines, some of them carrying bits of food. A beetle clumsily crawled up the

stalk (noun) of a flower, reaching the bright yellow center of the flower and coating itself with pollen before the stem bent so far the beetle fell off! I found a fluffy white dandelion, ready for me to try to blow the white seeds off. I blew, wishing for a friend I could play with, but only a few, just a

portion (noun) of the seeds floated away. I looked sadly at the part that was left. Bad luck! I guess

I’ll be alone until school starts. Oh, well. The vacant lot is more interesting than I thought I could be. If I look carefully, maybe I’ll learn something new this summer!

©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com Name: Vocabulary: City Lots

Word Bank discarded habitat dwellings hover examine portion flourishing sensitive fragrant stalk absorb stout adorn sycamore Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use 12 of the words above, once each. On a lazy summer day last August, I was bored. There was nothing to do, and it was too hot to do anything even if there had been something to do! I was tired of watching the flies (verb) over the garbage can, buzzing so loudly as they circled the disgusting mess that I could hear them nearly a block away. I walked by the garbage cans and past some old sofas that someone in our apartment building had

(verb), leaving them out on the sidewalk, hoping that someone would take them away.

Two blocks from my house, there was a vacant lot I liked to play in, but today it was so hot, I didn’t really want to do anything. I sat down in the shade of a (noun) tree and leaned against its

(adj), thick trunk. I’d never really looked at the lot carefully before, but now I began to notice all kinds of interesting plants (verb), growing strong and healthy, in the lot. Next to my hand, in fact was a tiny purple flower poking out of the earth. I began to (verb) it, looking at it carefully to see the perfect tiny petals of the flower. It smelled wonderful, (adj), kind of like my grandmother’s house. Lavender! That was what it was. Grandmother always used it to (verb) her house, decorating it with the lavender because she liked the relaxing smell. I stood up suddenly, spilling my bottle of water. The ground was dry and I watched the dirt (verb) the water, turning as darker shade of brown as the water soaked in. I’d never noticed all the things I could see in this lot before! It was a perfect (noun), a wonderful place for ants and beetles to live. I watched the ants marching in and out of their tunnels in neat lines, some of them carrying bits of food. A beetle clumsily crawled up the

(noun) of a flower, reaching the bright yellow center of the flower and coating itself with pollen before the stem bent so far the beetle fell off! I found a fluffy white dandelion, ready for me to try to blow the white seeds off. I blew, wishing for a friend I could play with, but only a few, just a

(noun) of the seeds floated away. I looked sadly at the part that was left. Bad luck! I guess

I’ll be alone until school starts. Oh, well. The vacant lot is more interesting than I thought I could be. If I look carefully, maybe I’ll learn something new this summer!

©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com Name: Vocabulary: The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring

Word Bank crops cottony decorated pointy mound spiky shades vacant immature Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use each only once.

I went shopping with my mom last week. It was nearly the end of the year, the time when all the

stores put up fancy lights and window displays, and nearly everywhere you go, you find another

pine tree that has been cut down, propped up in a bucket, and (verb)

with shiny glass balls and colorful lights. I accidentally backed into one of the fancy trees in a

store – those branches are full of sharp (adj) needles! Yow! But we

didn’t buy one of the huge, beautiful trees. No, sir! We wanted a tiny tree, one still growing that

we could plant in our garden for the birds and squirrels to enjoy. We looked and looked through

hundreds of trees, each too small, too thin, too tall, when –– there it was! The perfect little

tree, just waiting for us to take it home! It wasn’t very old, just a baby tree really, kind of

(adj), but it needed a good home. We put a tiny star on its little

(adj) top branch and we found some soft, white, fluffy,

(adj) material, made to look like snow, on its branches. “Hey, little

tree,” I whispered. “You’re going to be planted in the best place on the whole farm – on a little

(noun) of rocks and dirt near the edge of the fields, a little higher

than the rest of the farm, just the place to watch us as we plant the (noun)

we use for our food every year. There’s a perfect place for you, a place we’ve cleared specially

for you. It’s (adj) and empty now, but you’ll make it so bright and beautiful

that I’ll have to wear my (noun) just so I can look at you! We’ll grow up

together, you and I, little tree, and when I’m a grown-up, maybe my kids will play on your

branches. You’ll be so big by then!” The little tree seemed to swell with pride. I was sure it had

grown another inch while I was watching – but maybe that was my imagination! ©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com Answer key Vocabulary: The Boy Who Didn’t Believe in Spring

Word Bank crops cottony decorated pointy mound spiky shades vacant immature Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use each only once.

I went shopping with my mom last week. It was nearly the end of the year, the time when all the

stores put up fancy lights and window displays, and nearly everywhere you go, you find another

pine tree that has been cut down, propped up in a bucket, and decorated (verb) with shiny

glass balls and colorful lights. I accidentally backed into one of the fancy trees in a store –

those branches are full of sharp spiky or pointy (adj) needles! Yow! But we didn’t buy

one of the huge, beautiful trees. No, sir! We wanted a tiny tree, one still growing that we could

plant in our garden for the birds and squirrels to enjoy. We looked and looked through hundreds

of trees, each too small, too thin, too tall, when –– there it was! The perfect little tree, just

waiting for us to take it home! It wasn’t very old, just a baby tree really, kind of

immature (adj), but it needed a good home. We put a tiny star on its little

pointy or spiky (adj) top branch and we found some soft, white, fluffy,

cottony (adj) material, made to look like snow, on its branches. “Hey, little tree,” I

whispered. “You’re going to be planted in the best place on the whole farm – on a little

mound (noun) of rocks and dirt near the edge of the fields, a little higher than the

rest of the farm, just the place to watch us as we plant the crops (noun)

we use for our food every year. There’s a perfect place for you, a place we’ve cleared specially

for you. It’s vacant (adj) and empty now, but you’ll make it so bright and beautiful

that I’ll have to wear my shades (noun) just so I can look at you! We’ll grow up

together, you and I, little tree, and when I’m a grown-up, maybe my kids will play on your

branches. You’ll be so big by then!” The little tree seemed to swell with pride. I was sure it had

grown another inch while I was watching – but maybe that was my imagination! ©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com Name:

Vocabulary: Urban Roosts Word Bank abandoned faze cavity nestlings clamor roost originally thriving species visible suburbs nooks and crannies Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use each only once. Most days, I woke up to the (noun) of trash trucks clanging, cars honking, and the construction workers shouting at the building site down the street. My city ears were used to that kind of noise. Today, I wanted to get away from it, though. I walked into the cool, quiet green of the park in the middle of my city. It was so quiet! I wasn’t used to that. Not now.

(adv), when I was a baby, I lived in the (noun), not far from the city. A couple years ago, Dad got a new job, so we moved. Our new house was an apartment far above the streets, but it sure wasn’t quiet. I liked to escape to the park, to walk in the shade of the trees and look at the birds and animals that lived there in the small hidden places, the (noun) and (noun) of the park. Today, I walked to the pond in the middle of the park.

There was a (noun) of fish, a special kind of fish who seemed to adapt very well to life in the small pond. Of course, they liked the food people fed them! Last week, I walked here with my dad at sunset, and we were lucky to see a raccoon, making his home in an old hole that a fox had dug. I was surprised that any animal would move into the (adj)

(noun), but Dad said that raccoons usually like to live in places other animals have left.

Today I wanted to check on a (adj) family of birds that I’d found. Their nest was hidden away from predators and people, so they were flourishing! I carefully approached the

(noun) where they were living, and looked in at the little baby

(noun). There should have been four babies in the nest, but only three were (adj)! I held my breath until finally the fourth chick appeared. He chirped and opened his mouth wide. The fact that I was watching him didn’t

(verb) him at all. He wasn’t at all bothered! He just wanted his food.

Vocabulary: Urban Roosts Word Bank abandoned faze cavity nestlings clamor roost originally thriving species visible suburbs nooks and crannies Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use each only once. Most days, I woke up to the clamor (noun) of trash trucks clanging, cars honking, and the construction workers shouting at the building site down the street. My city ears were used to that kind of noise. Today, I wanted to get away from it, though. I walked into the cool, quiet green of the park in the middle of my city. It was so quiet! I wasn’t used to that. Not now. Originally (adv), when I was a baby, I lived in the suburbs (noun), not far from the city. A couple years ago, Dad got a new job, so we moved. Our new house was an apartment far above the streets, but it sure wasn’t quiet. I liked to escape to the park, to walk in the shade of the trees and look at the birds and animals that lived there in the small hidden places, the nooks (noun) and crannies (noun) of the park. Today, I walked to the pond in the middle of the park. There was a species (noun) of fish, a special kind of fish who seemed to adapt very well to life in the small pond. Of course, they liked the food people fed them! Last week, I walked here with my dad at sunset, and we were lucky to see a raccoon, making his home in an old hole that a fox had dug. I was surprised that any animal would move into the

abandoned (adj) cavity (noun), but Dad said that raccoons usually like to live in places other animals have left. Today I wanted to check on a thriving (adj) family of birds that I’d found. Their nest was hidden away from predators and people, so they were flourishing! I carefully approached the roost (noun) where they were living, and looked in at the little baby

nestlings (noun). There should have been four babies in the nest, but only three were visible (adj)! I held my breath until finally the fourth chick appeared. He chirped and opened his mouth wide. The fact that I was watching him didn’t faze (verb) him at all. He wasn’t at all bothered! He just wanted his food.

Word Bank beckoned enormous bursting responsibility cozy dither delighted horrid molt Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use 8 of the words above, once each. Once upon a time, there was a lovely lady swan that lived on a beautiful clear lake in the middle of a park in the middle of a very large city. She wanted more than anything to become a mother. “Oh, dear,” she sighed to her devoted husband. “Wouldn’t it be lovely to have just one little chick to raise?” “Hmm,” thought Mr. Swan. “I wonder what I can do about that?” The next morning, Mr. Swan flew over to the zoo. “Surely there’s some bird here who wouldn’t mind lending us an egg,” he thought. Just then, he saw a nest of eggs, right on the ground, huge eggs,

(adj) eggs, the biggest he’d ever seen! “My, wouldn’t Mrs. Swan like one of those!” he smiled to himself as he landed. Next to the nest was the biggest bird he’d ever seen. He looked up and up and up, and finally saw the head of Mrs. Ostrich. He told her about Mrs. Swan, and Mrs.

Ostrich’s eyes filled with tears. “Why that poor thing,” she sobbed. “Of course, you can have one of my eggs. But how will you get it to the lake in the park?” Mrs. Pelican at the pond in the next cage, heard what they were saying. “I’ll be glad to take it over in my big beak,” she offered. “I’ll be very careful. It’s a very big and important job, a big (noun), I’ll be sure it gets to the lake safely. Mr.

Swan and Mrs. Pelican scooped up the egg and flew off with it, laying it gently in the warm, comfortable,

(adj) nest that the Swans had built. “Thank you so much!” he told Mrs. Pelican, his heart

(verb), overflowing with happiness.

When Mrs. Swan returned from feeding, Mr. Swan (verb) to her. “Come here,” he invited, almost jumping up and down with excitement. “I’ve brought you a surprise!” And he showed her the egg, snug and warm in its nest. Mrs. Swan couldn’t believe her eyes. “An egg of our very own!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, dear, I’m so very happy, so pleased, well – just (adj), really!” And she began to run around and tremble with excitement. “I’m all in a (noun) she honked. “What do we do?

How do we take care of it?” “Just sit carefully on the nest and keep it warm,” Mr. Swan replied.

And she did. She sat and sat for weeks. She even stayed on the nest when she began to

(verb ), shedding her feathers, but she gathered them up again to put around the egg. At last the chick began to peck its way out of the egg. Mr. and Mrs. Swan watched anxiously. “It’s a huge chick!” they cried

©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com joyfully. So he was. And although he didn’t much like water, he loved his parents with all his heart and made his home by the lake with them, happily ever after.

Word Bank beckoned enormous bursting responsibility cozy dither delighted horrid molt Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank. Use 8 of the words above, once each. Once upon a time, there was a lovely lady swan that lived on a beautiful clear lake in the middle of a park in the middle of a very large city. She wanted more than anything to become a mother. “Oh, dear,” she sighed to her devoted husband. “Wouldn’t it be lovely to have just one little chick to raise?” “Hmm,” thought Mr. Swan. “I wonder what I can do about that?” The next morning, Mr. Swan flew over to the zoo. “Surely there’s some bird here who wouldn’t mind lending us an egg,” he thought. Just then, he saw a nest of eggs, right on the ground, huge eggs,

enormous (adj) eggs, the biggest he’d ever seen! “My, wouldn’t Mrs. Swan like one of those!” he smiled to himself as he landed. Next to the nest was the biggest bird he’d ever seen. He looked up and up and up, and finally saw the head of Mrs. Ostrich. He told her about Mrs. Swan, and Mrs. Ostrich’s eyes filled with tears. “Why that poor thing,” she sobbed. “Of course, you can have one of my eggs. But how will you get it to the lake in the park?” Mrs. Pelican at the pond in the next cage, heard what they were saying. “I’ll be glad to take it over in my big beak,” she offered. “I’ll be very careful. It’s a very big and important job, a big responsibility (noun), I’ll be sure it gets to the lake safely. Mr.

Swan and Mrs. Pelican scooped up the egg and flew off with it, laying it gently in the warm, comfortable,

cozy (adj) nest that the Swans had built. “Thank you so much!” he told Mrs. Pelican, his heart

bursting (verb), overflowing with happiness.

When Mrs. Swan returned from feeding, Mr. Swan beckoned (verb) to her. “Come here,” he invited, almost jumping up and down with excitement. “I’ve brought you a surprise!” And he showed her the egg, snug and warm in its nest. Mrs. Swan couldn’t believe her eyes. “An egg of our very own!” she exclaimed. “Oh, dear,

I’m so very happy, so pleased, well – just delighted (adj), really!” And she began to run around and tremble with excitement. “I’m all in a dither (noun) she honked. “What do we do? How do we take care of it?” “Just sit carefully on the nest and keep it warm,” Mr. Swan replied.

And she did. She sat and sat for weeks. She even stayed on the nest when she began to

molt (verb ), shedding her feathers, but she gathered them up again to put around the egg. At last the chick began to peck its way out of the egg. Mr. and Mrs. Swan watched anxiously. “It’s a huge chick!” they cried ©Jan Tappan, 2006 http://www.opencourtresources.com joyfully. So he was. And although he didn’t much like water, he loved his parents with all his heart and made his home by the lake with them, happily ever after.