1) Lucy learns from her mom that chickens lay eggs because they are birds, and birds are a type of species that lays eggs. 2) Mammals like Lucy and her dog Roger give live birth to young, while other animal groups like birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles lay eggs. 3) There are five major animal groups - mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Birds have feathers and warm blood, while fish, amphibians and reptiles are cold-blooded.

1. The Chicken and the
Grasshopper
Taylirre Mack
RED6545
Online Actions in Reading

2. Common Core Standards
 SC.3.L.15.1: Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish,
arthropods, vertebrates and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay
eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.
 LACC.3.SL.1.3: Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering
appropriate elaboration and detail.
 LACC.3.SL.2.4: Report on a topic, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate
facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

3. Vocabulary
mammals
birds
reptiles
amphibians
fish
arthropods
vertebrates
invertebrates
Create a word splash of what you already know about these terms. Discuss with your
shoulder buddy.

4. One day Lucy followed her
mom around the farm. Her
mom collected eggs to make
a great big breakfast for the
next morning.
“Mommy,” asked Lucy, “why do
chickens have eggs?”
Why do chickens lay eggs? What are baby chickens called?

5. “Well my sweet dear,” Lucy’s
mom answered while she
continued to pick up eggs,
“because chickens are
classified into a species of
birds. And birds lay eggs.”
Lucy thought for
awhile. She
became distracted
as a grasshopper
that hopped by.
What are species? What kind of other animals can you think of that are in the birds species?

6. “Well what about me? Did I hatch
from an egg? Am I in the chicken
species? What about the
grasshopper? Did it hatch from an
egg? What about Roger?” she
asked as her golden retriever ran
by, “Did he hatch from an egg?
Roger’s not a chicken or a bird.”
Lucy’s mom looked at her for a second. “Let’s go inside
Lucy, I will show you something.”

7. “Birds are a
type of species
who lay eggs.
They have
other
characteristics,
too. They are
animals that
have warm
blood,” Lucy’s
mom
explained.

8. “Warm blood?”
Lucy asked.
“What’s warm
blood?”
What is warm blood? Discuss with your shoulder buddy why chickens may need warm blood.

9. Lucy’s mom thought
about it for a second.
“Well Lucy,” she started,
“you and I have warm
blood, too.”
“So I came from an
egg?” Lucy asked
amazed. “I knew it!”
“No, no, no, silly girl,”
Lucy’s mom explained.
“We are mammals.
Mammals give birth to
live young. Sort of like
Roger’s mom gave birth
to him.”

10. “Fish lay eggs. They live underwater and are coldblooded,” Lucy’s mom stated pointing to Bubbles.

11. “Oh that’s right!”
Lucy exclaimed
excitedly. “Bubbles
is in the fish species.”
“But since he’s cold-blooded maybe
I should add some hot water to his
fish tank to warm him up,” Lucy
stated getting up to head to the
kitchen.
“No, Lucy,” Lucy’s mom laughed.
“He can live in room temperature
water and is a cold-blooded animal.
That’s how nature made it.”
Why do you think fish are cold-blooded species?

12. “Another cold-blooded
species are amphibians. They
lay many eggs and can live in
land and water,” Lucy’s mom
explained.
“I can live on land and water
too. I can swim and hold my
breath underwater for a whole
minute!” Lucy stated proudly.
“Silly girl!” Lucy’s mom smiled
and stroked Lucy’s hair.
“Amphibians can live
underwater. You can’t live in
the water, you just wish you
can!”
Why can’t mammals live on land and water?

13. Just then a lizard runs
by. “Is a lizard an
amphiyun?” Lucy
asked.
“An amphibian,” Lucy’s mom
corrected. “Close… but a lizard is
a reptile.”
We have a lot of lizards in Florida. Think about what you know about lizards. Share with your
shoulder buddy some characteristics of reptiles based on what you know about lizards.

14. What are some differences between the three cold-blooded species?
“Reptiles lay eggs
and sometimes
have live young.
Instead of fur like
Roger they have
scales and dry
skin. They are
also coldblooded
animals” Lucy’s
mom explained.

15. Look at your word splash. Add any new information to what you now know about the
vocabulary words. You can draw pictures. Share with your shoulder buddy. Do not
include insects!

16. “So there are mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, and
amphibians?” Lucy confirmed.
“Very good, Lucy!” Lucy’s mom said happily.

17. “But what about
grasshoppers?” Lucy
asked, reminded of the
grasshopper that hopped
by earlier.
“Well Lucy, those are invertebrates. That means
they don’t have backbones. Vertebrates are the
species that we talked about earlier; mammals,
reptiles, birds, fish, and reptiles.” Lucy’s mom
explained.
“Oh no, Mommy!” Lucy
exclaimed. I will stick to
chicken and verticles.”
“Vertebrates,” Lucy’s mom
corrected.
“Yea those,” Lucy stated
getting up to go outside. “Let’s
go get those eggs for our
breakfast tomorrow. Then you
can tell me more about these
grasshoppers and inverticles.”
“Ok, silly girl!” Lucy’s mom
stated, joining Lucy to go
outside.
Predict some creatures that may be included in invertebrates. Share with your shoulder partner.