This Weeks Reading Selection: “Protective Plants” 

Summary: Some parts of plants, such as roots, spines and thorns, thick stems, thin stems, trunks, and bark, help protect plants from dangers, such as bad weather and insects.  

Essential Question: Why would plants need to protect themselves? 

Vocabulary Focus: The words below appear in this week’s reading selections. 

defend               verb             to protect  

digest                 verb             o break down food so it can be used by the body  

growth                noun            the process of developing or changing  

harm                   verb             to cause injury  

important            adjective       having a lot of meaning, worth, or value  

layers                  noun             parts that lie over or under  

respond               verb              to react to something that happened  

spines                   noun            the sharp points on an animal or a plant  

system                 noun             a group of related things that work together 

Phonics Focus: Your child will learn the /͝/ sound spelled oo, u, and _ue  

Writing: Your child will begin writing an opinion by writing a book report about his or her favorite book. He or she will complete the prewriting and drafting steps of the writing process 

Grammar: Your child will learn how to expand sentences by adding adjectives and adverbs 

Reading: We will look at the structure of non-fiction text.