Reading HomeworkDates:______________________________________

Fluency: Repeated Reading

Reading # Date Parent initial and comments

1

2

3

Wide reading: Independent ReadingComplete at least three tasks from the chart below.

Read 20 minutes in your independent reading book

Read a magazine or newspaper

Read a nonfiction book for 20 minutes

Read a book aloud to a younger child

Write a poem from the point of view of a skunk cabbage

Read 20 minutes in your independent reading book

Learn more about wetland plants. Write down 3 facts that you learn

Read 20 minutes in your independent reading book

Your own idea: Ask about your own topic!

Comprehension checkComplete the multiple choice questions

VocabularyComplete the attached worksheet

A Stinky Sign of Spring

Picture spring flowers. You probably imagine yellow daffodils, red tulips, and purple violets. Now breathe deeply. Ah, the sweet smell of—skunk?

It’s true. One of the earliest spring flowers has a strong smell that some people say is just like the scent of a skunk. Not surprisingly, this flower has the name of skunk cabbage.

First FlowerIn northern areas, the skunk

cabbage is the first flower of spring. This first flower is pretty amazing. Due to a chemical reaction, the skunk cabbage can melt the snow around it. The temperature around a skunk cabbage flower might be as much as 30 degrees warmer than the surrounding air.

The flower of a skunk cabbage is also unusual. Instead of having a center and petals, it is made up of two parts. A modified leaf called a spathe wraps around the flower like a hood. This makes a warm little “room” for the flower.

Why does the flower have such a strong smell? Flowers have scents to attract insect pollinators. The skunk cabbage is no exception. The flower’s odor attracts the season’s first insects, like gnats, bees, and flies. These insects pollinate the flowers so that the skunk cabbage can make seeds.Wet Woodlands

This plant likes places that are wet and shady. Skunk cabbage is often found near streams and vernal pools. The roots of the skunk cabbage have an amazing ability to burrow deep into the moist mud. As they grow, the pull the plant deeper and deeper. Older plants have such long roots that it’s almost impossible to dig them up. Lush Leaves

The red and yellow flowers of the skunk cabbage don’t last long. After about two weeks, they shrivel up. At about the same time, the leaves of the skunk cabbage start to poke through the wet soil. The lush green leaves are beautiful to look at, but be careful—they have the same strong smell as the skunk cabbage flower.

Seeing a skunk cabbage flower is one of the most magical moments of early spring. Even though it has a smelly name and doesn’t look like everyone’s ideal spring flower, the skunk cabbage is a welcome sign of spring.

Comprehension Questions: A Stinky Sign of Spring

1. What sound device is used in the headings of this article?A. RhymeB. AlliterationC. PersonificationD. Onomatopoeia

2. Which best explains the organization of this article?A. The author compares skunk cabbage to other flowers, such as

daffodils and tulips.B. The author explains what causes skunk cabbage to bloom so early,

and how it affects the forest around it.C. The author describes the skunk cabbage plant.D. The author explains a problem with skunk cabbages, and suggests

some possible solutions.

3. Which sentence from the article expresses an opinion?A. This first flower is pretty amazing.B. The flower’s odor attracts the season’s first insects, like gnats,

bees, and flies.C. Due to a chemical reaction, the skunk cabbage can melt the snow

around it.D. Flowers have scents to attract insect pollinators.

4. Which is an EFFECT of the skunk cabbage’s strong smell?A. It can raise the temperature of the air around it.B. It attracts skunks to the area.C. It likes to live in wet, shady places.D. It attracts insects.

5. The author probably wrote this article to:A. Entertain readers with stories about an unusual plantB. Persuade readers to save skunk cabbagesC. Inform readers about an unusual plantD. Inform readers about springtime

Vocabulary: Synonyms

Synonyms are words that have similar meanings. Synonyms can replace each other in sentences without changing the meaning of the sentence.

This plant likes places that are wet and shady.

This plant likes places that are moist and shady.

Wet and moist are synonyms. Notice how they can both be put in the same place in the sentence.

Words from the text are in the box. Can you match each one with its synonym?

blossoms

scent

named

produces

found

cautious

appear

called makes look odor

careful located flowers

Write a sentence using two of the words from the box. Illustrate your sentence.

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