Scott Foresman Reading Street

Science in Reading

Examine features of a photo essay.
Practice a test-taking strategy.
Compare and contrast across texts.

PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES

As students preview "Plants: Fitting
into Their World," have them identify
each section and tell what they think each will be about. Then ask:

How do the arrows help you
read and understand the
selection? (They point to the
picture they go with, so there is
no confusion about which
image goes with which text.)

Link to Science

Help students use reference materials, such as encyclopedias or online reference sources, to find out more about how plants get sunlight and water. Encourage them to take notes and to organize them before they present their findings.

Students' responses should reflect the wording or main idea in each head and subhead, or title.

Whole Group Discuss the Question of the Day.

Group Time
Differentiated Instruction

"Plants: Fitting into
Their World." See pp. 150f–150g for the small group lesson plan.

Reading

Language Arts
Use pp. 173e–173h and
173k–173m.

Whole Group Use p. 173a
and 173j.

Grouping Options

PHOTO ESSAY

Use the sidebar on p. 170 to guide discussion.

A photo essay is a collection of photographs on one theme,
with written explanations of
varying lengths, from short
captions to longer expository or
narrative writing. The
explanations in this photo
essay are relatively short.
Similar to other forms of
nonfiction writing, photo essays
are often divided into sections.
Each section has a title, or
subhead. Each caption may
have an additional title or
subhead as well.
Discuss with students how they
can use the information in the
titles and subheads to better
understand the selection.

AudioText

Build Background Discuss how plants grow and what elements they need to do so (sun, water, nutrients) with students. Point out the word photosynthesis on p. 171 and read the explanation in the selection together. If further explanation is necessary, use a simple drawing of a plant and the sun and the sun's rays hitting the leaves. Look at the photographs in each section and discuss which element each photo relates to.

Almost all plants need sun to live. They use a process called
photosynthesis to turn sunlight into food or energy. But sometimes
getting enough light can be a problem. Tall plants and trees get
it by growing higher than those around them. To do so, they use
a lot of energy growing a strong stem or trunk. Other plants have
different ways to grab their share of sunshine.

Text Features

Use the library or the
Internet to find more
examples of ways that
plants get sunlight and
water. Report what you
find to the class.

Link to Science

Some photos give a
close-up view.

In this selection, arrows
clearly show which
photo goes with each
piece of text.

Photo essays use
photographs and text
to give information.

A photo essay usually
is written to inform the reader about a topic.

Genre

Photo Essay

This bromeliad is a different kind of
hitchhiker. It is an air plant. It grows
high on a tree and uses its roots to anchor
itself to the tree’s trunk or upper branches.

This morning glory spends its energy climbing
instead. This vine uses its flexible stem to wind around
strong objects and get to the light.

Many plants arrange their leaves
so they can get as much sun as
possible. Mint leaves grow in crossed
pairs. That way, the leaves cast less
shadow upon their neighbors.

Main Idea

Use the heads to help you figure out the main ideas.

evolved	developed or changed over time
host	a living thing on which another living thing lives
stem	the main supporting part of a plant
trunk	the main supporting part of a tree, similar to the stem of a plant
vine	a plant with a long, slender stem that grows along the ground or climbs something

Wild and Cultivated Plants

Wildflowers and plants provide seeds, nuts, and fruit for
wild animals; prevent soil erosion; and color the landscape.
The plants survive and grow when insects carry pollen from one
plant to another or when animals and the wind spread seeds. Cultivated plants are those that people grow in a specific place or for a specific purpose. People prepare the land, plant the seeds, and make sure the seeds have enough water and fertilizer to grow.