WHAT IS A YURT?

PAIREDREAD Treehouses

Nonfiction

by Lily Ryan

STRATEGIES & SKILLS

Photography Credit: (bkgd) Thomas Lehne/lotuseaters/Alamy Stock Photo, (t) flocu/Shutterstock.com

**The total word count is based on words in the running text and headings only. Numerals and words in captions, labels, diagrams, charts, and sidebars are not included.

Comprehension Strategy: Ask and Answer

Questions Skill: Cause and Effect

Vocabulary above, balance, build,

fall, knew, money, section, toward

Phonics Diphthongs oi, oy

Content StandardsScience Practice of Science

Word count: 332**

Copyright © 2014 McGraw-Hill Education.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education, including, but not limited to, network storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.

Send all inquiries to:McGraw-Hill EducationTwo Penn PlazaNew York, New York 10121

ISBN: 978-0-02-119681-4MHID: 0-02-119681-8

Printed in the of America

11 12 13 14 15 DOC 22 21 20 19 18 D

mheducation.com/prek-12

WHAT IS A YURT?

by Lily Ryan

PAIREDREAD

Essential QuestionHow do things get built?

Genre Nonfiction

Chapter 1 Who Lives in a Yurt? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chapter 2 How Are Yurts Built? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Chapter 3 Do People Build Yurts Today? . . . . . . . 9

Respond to Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Treehouses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Focus on Science . . . . . . . . . . . .16(bkg

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CHAPTER 1

Do you go camping? Many people enjoy it . First, they set up a tent . During the day, campers fish, hike, and eat . At night, they fall asleep under the stars .

Who Lives in a Yurt?

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At the end of a camping trip, people take their tent down . They pack up their car and drive home .

Tents come in many shapes and sizes.

3

A yurt is like a tent . But a yurt is stronger . Long ago, some people lived in yurts . These people were called nomads .

Nomads knew how to build yurts and take them apart quickly . Nomads moved a lot . They carried their yurts with them .

This camel carries a yurt that has been taken apart.

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Early yurts were made of mats from sheep’s wool . The nomads added mats in the winter to make the yurt warm . They took mats away in the summer . This made the yurt cooler .

Yurt wool was felted so it was thick and sturdy.

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CHAPTER 2

How Are Yurts Built? A yurt begins with a wooden frame . It is always round, like a circle . The frame joins together for a perfect fit .

Builders put the roof frame above the circle .

This family is busy putting together their yurt.

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The builders place canvas around the sides of the frame . They cover one section at a time .

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Next, canvas is placed above the frame . It will be the yurt’s roof .

It can take several people to put together some yurts.

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Yurts are still used in Asia as shelter . They are warm in winter and cool in summer . These yurts are easy to take apart and move . They can balance on a camel’s back . The camel takes the yurt to the next place .

CHAPTER 3

Do People Build Yurts Today?

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Some people live in a yurt all year . Yurts can be a lot like other kinds of homes .

Some people spend their vacation in a yurt instead of a hotel room.

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People can also build their own yurt . They can buy a yurt kit . A kit doesn’t cost too much money .

Would you like to live in a yurt?

11

Cause Effect

Retell

Use your own words to you retell What Is a Yurt?

Text Evidence

1. Why did nomads live in yurts? Cause and Effect

2. Look at page 11 . Why do people buy yurt kits today? Cause and Effect

3. Is What Is a Yurt? fiction or nonfiction? How can you tell? Genre

12

Compare TextsRead about another interesting home you can build .

Genre Nonfiction

TreehousesThis is the world’s largest wooden treehouse.

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Walk up the steps, toward the top of the tree . What do you see? A house! Did you know that some people live in treehouses?

This treehouse has stairs and railings to keep people safe.

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Other treehouses are just for fun . Children can play with their friends or spend time alone . There is so much to do and see in a tree!

These boys use their treehouse as a fort.

Make ConnectionsLook at both stories . How are yurts and treehouses alike? Text to Text

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Purpose To learn about camping out

What to Do

Plan a camping trip with a partner .

List three things you need to go camping .

Draw a picture of your campsite .

Conclusion Share your picture with your class . Tell what you need for a camping trip .

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

16

ThinkmarkNonfiction

The Topic What is What Is a Yurt? mostly about?

Text Structure How does the author organize information in What Is a Yurt?

Make ConnectionsHow is a yurt like your house? How is it different?

Literature Circles

GR I • Benchmark 16 • Lexile 440

Build It! Science

WondersMHE.com