Two Kinds of Whales

Two Kinds of Whales by ReadWorks

A whale is a huge sea animal. Different kinds of whales live in our oceans. Whales have blowholes on their heads. Some have one blowhole and some have two. A whale lifts its head up from the water to breathe through its blowhole.

The killer whale has one blowhole. It has sharp teeth. It uses its teeth to hunt for seals. It is as big as one school bus.

The blue whale has two blowholes. It doesn't have teeth, but it eats a lot of krill. Krill are very small and look like shrimp. The blue whale is the biggest whale. In fact, it is the largest animal in the world. It is as big as three school buses!

Definition noun 1. a nostril in the top of the head of a whale, dolphin, or porpoise. The blowhole is used to breathe.

2. a hole in ice that covers a body of water. Whales and other sea mammals come to blowholes to breathe.

3. a vent to let out air or gases.

It is important to have a blowhole in an underground tunnel.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. When the whale comes to the top, its blowhole opens. The whale breathes out, making water spray into the air. 2. The blowhole is closed when the whale is under the water. When the whale comes to the top, its blowhole opens. 3. The killer whale has one blowhole. It has sharp teeth. 4. Some have one blowhole and some have two. A whale lifts its head up from the water to breathe through its blowhole.

ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Definitions and sample sentences within definitions are provided by Wordsmyth. © 2015 Wordsmyth. All rights reserved. ReadWorks Vocabulary - ocean ocean o·cean

Definition noun 1. a part of the large body of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface.

We went to the shore and swam in the ocean.

Spanish cognate océano: The Spanish word océano means ocean.

These are some examples of how the word or forms of the word are used:

1. Going to the beach is lots of fun. You can swim in the ocean. You can play in the sand. 2. A hurricane begins over warm ocean water. Winds make the storm spin around and around. 3. Floods can happen near rivers and oceans. Big storms can quickly cause floods. People must leave places where the water is high. Some people must go in boats. 4. Dolphins live in most oceans. They swim by moving their tails. Dolphins are gray and have long beaks. They eat mostly fish. Experts say that dolphins are some of the smartest animals on Earth. 5. Penguins look for food in the ocean. They use their beaks to catch prey. Prey is an animal that is eaten by another animal. Penguins eat fish, squid, and krill. Krill are tiny animals that look like shrimps.

Name: ______Date: ______1. What is a whale?

A. a huge animal that lives on land B. a huge sea animal C. a huge animal that lives on land and in the sea

2. What two whales are compared in the passage?

A. the humpback whale and the killer whale B. the killer whale and the blue whale C. the humpback whale and the blue whale

3. Whales live in the ocean but they need to come up from the water to breathe. Based on this information, where would you find whales most of the time?

A. on land B. underwater C. in the sky

4. What is "Two Kinds of Whales" mostly about?

A. killer whales B. blue whales C. killer whales and blue whales

A blue whale is as big as

6. What did you learn from "Two Kinds of Whales"?

ReadWorks.org · © 2020 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. Two Kinds of Whales - Comprehension Questions 7. Class Discussion Question: Explain how killer whales and blue whales are different and how they are the same. Use information from the text to support your answer.

8. Draw a picture of a blue whale.

Name: ______Date: ______

These pictures show an ocean:

1. Please say the word ocean out loud.

2. Please write the word ocean.

4. Draw a picture of an ocean.

5. Create a sentence that uses the word ocean. Say the sentence out loud with a partner or write it down.