edHelper.com

Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife

Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 3 to 4
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   3.06

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    Scaredy, lies, mainly, easily, fell, poisonous, shoulder, attack, tapping, expect, reason, often, familiar, rare, leaving, remember
     content words:    Appalachian Trail

Print Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife
edHelper.com subscriber options:
     Print Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)
     Quickly print reading comprehension
     Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife
     Leave your feedback on Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Jake and Jackie Learn to Respect Wildlife
By Beth Beutler 		  
1     "Shhhh..." Jake whispered, tapping Jackie on the shoulder. "Take a look at this!"
 
2     Jackie turned. Her eyes followed Jake's arm and hand to where it pointed into some tall grass.
 
3     Jackie shrieked! "It's a snake!" she cried.
 
4     Jake about fell down laughing.
 
5     "Yep," he said. "Let's get closer and see what kind!"
 
6     "I don't think that would be a good idea," said a deep voice, as Jake's dad approached the kids. "Sometimes it is hard to tell if a snake is poisonous. Best to leave it alone."
 
7     The snake seemed to agree. It slithered off into the woods.
 
8     Jackie shook. "Now I'm not sure I want to go on that trail again," she said.
 
9     Jake rolled his eyes. Jake's dad patted Jackie on the shoulder.
 
10     "It's a good idea to be wise, but you don't have to be scared. You just have to be careful around any kind of wildlife."
 
11     "What do we need to watch for, Dad?" Jake asked. Jake's dad was familiar with the woods. Before he was married, he had hiked the Appalachian Trail, a trail that took him from Georgia all the way to Maine. It had taken him about three months, and he had seen a lot.
 
12     "Mainly, you need to remember that you are visiting the animals in their territory," he said. "Often, animals are more afraid of you than you are of them. The main reason they would strike out, bite, or attack is if they feel threatened."
 
13     He continued, "It's best to always pay attention as you are walking, and expect to see animals. Understand that some animals, like snakes, like to hide. So be very careful lifting wood or stepping around stumps. If a log lies across your path, step up on it, and then take a wide step out to go over. If you simply step over the log, you may surprise a snake lying next to it on the other side. Stepping up helps you see more easily."
 
14     "What if you see a lion, tiger, or bear?" asked Jake.

Paragraphs 15 to 26:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable
Copyright © 2008 edHelper