This document discusses the unique physical characteristics of several different animal species. It describes how polar bear fur, camel eyelashes, elephant tusks and trunks, giraffe necks, porcupine quills, turtle shells, and duck feet help these animals survive in their environments. The purpose is to showcase what makes these animals "amazing" by highlighting adaptations that allow them to thrive.

1. Amazing Animals
Drawing conclusions

2. What do the pictures and captions on
page 54 show?
• The pictures show animals. The captions tell about each
animal.

3. What do they suggest the text will be
about?
• It will tell what makes animals special.

4. Do you think polar bear fur looks
sparkling in the sun?
• Yes, because it is like glass and looks white in the sun.

5. How does thick, white fur help polar bears
live in cold, snowy places?
• It helps them keep warm and hide in the snow.

6. From what you have read so far, is
this selection a true story or a fantasy?
Explain
• True story
• The text gives facts. The pictures show real animals.

7. Does an elephant have its trunk or tusks
first? How do you know?
• Trunk
• A baby elephant has a trunk. It takes many years for the
tusks to grow.

8. How are elephant’s tusks like your teeth?
• They are hard and take time to grow.

9. How are they different?
• Tusks are much longer than our teeth, and there are only 2
tusks. We have more teeth than that.

10. What is special about camels’ eyelashes?
• There are 2 rows of thick long eyelashes.

11. Where do you think camels live that they
need special eyelashes?
• Camels live in sandy, windy places. The eyelashes help
keep sand from blowing in their eyes.

12. What is inside a camel’s hump?
• Fat

13. How does it help camels live in the
desert?
• When camels make long trips across the desert, they can
use the fat as food.

14. What kind of animal is a duck?
• Bird

15. How do the shape of a duck’s feet and
toes make it a good swimmer?
• The wide feet and toes help push a duck easily through the
water.

16. The text says that a giraffe has a long
neck. How does the picture help you
see how tall a giraffe is and long its
neck is?
• The picture shows the giraffe reaching the leaves of a tree. It
shows the giraffe’s neck being much longer than the head.

17. How is a long neck helpful to giraffes?
• A long neck helps giraffes live. They can reach food that
other animals cannot and take better care of their babies.

18. What do the quills of a newborn porcupine
feel like?
• The quills are soft

19. How are they different from an adult?
• On a newborn, quills are soft. On the adult, they are sharp

20. Why would a baby porcupine be born with
soft quills instead of sharp ones?
• Soft quills would make it easier for the mother to care for
the baby.

21. Why would a porcupine want other
animals to stay away?
• The other animals might want to hurt the porcupine.

22. What is the main idea of the text that tells
about turtles?
• Turtles have a very hard shell.

23. What does the turtle do when an animal
comes that wants to hurt it?
• The turtle pulls inside its shell.

24. What doe they look like?
• They look like wide, oval, pads

25. Why are all of the animals in this selection
“amazing?”
• Each animal has special body parts that help it grow and
live.

26. What is the author’s purpose in writing
this selection?
• To give facts about animals, to show that animals and
nature are interesting.