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Weird and Wonderful Octopuses

Find out about octopuses. Keep reading for a true story about a super-smart octopus. 

From the May/June 2023 Issue
Lexiles: 410L
Guided Reading Level: J
Featured Skill: Vocabulary, Main Idea,
Vocabulary: ink, predators, suction cups, tentacles
Topic: Science,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text RI.1.5 Know and use various text features to locate information RI.1.10 Read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1 L.1.4.A Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats.

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1. Octopuses Have Eight Arms

Jeff Rotman/NPL/Minden Pictures

Count them! The arms are also called tentacles. Octopuses touch and grab with them. Look at the suction cups. Octopuses hold on with them.

2. Octopuses Change Colors

Shane Gross/NaturePL.com

Where did it go?

How does an octopus hide from danger? Its body changes colors to blend in. This helps it hide from predators like whales and sharks. 

3. Octopuses Have No Bones

Howard Chew/Alamy Stock Photo

Their bodies are squishy and soft. An octopus can squeeze its body into a tiny space.

4. Octopuses Spray Ink

Jeff Rotman/NPL/Minden Pictures

Don’t scare an octopus! It will spray black ink if it feels afraid. Don’t worry, the ink will not hurt you. 

5. Octopuses Are Smart

JENS BUETTNER/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom

One octopus was so smart, it escaped from its tank. Go to this page to find out how.

video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2) Download All Skill Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

Reading Focus 

Critical thinking, Vocabulary

Science Focus 

Animal behaviors, Animal habitats

Vocabulary: 

ink, predators, suction cups, tentacles

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS

Small Group/Partner Read

  • This article gives children background knowledge to help them better understand the Big Read-Aloud. Read it in small groups. Children can read it again later on their own or with a partner.

Word Work

  • “Weird and Wonderful Octopuses!” features four rich vocabulary terms: tentacles, suction cups, predators, and ink. Use our slideshow to provide direct vocabulary instruction with visual and audio support.

1. BEFORE READING

Watch a Video (7-10 minutes)

  • Prepare children to read with this video. It will help them visualize the parts of an octopus and examples of their abilities. This video also goes with the “Big Read-Aloud” article, “The Great Octopus Escape.”

Preview the Article and Set a Purpose for Reading (3-5 minutes)

  • Help children see the main idea of the article using the headline and opening text.
  •  Tell students that you will read to learn “weird and wonderful” facts about octopuses.

2. READ THE ARTICLE (15-30 minutes)

  • The numbers and colored text will help guide students through the pages. After reading the headline and opening text, start at number 1.
  • Have children discuss each section of text. What is one thing they learned? Is it weird? Is it wonderful?
  • To deepen students’ understanding of the vocabulary, review the bolded words. Write each word on the board. Brainstorm and write a class definition for each word.

3. AFTER READING: Focus on Skills

ELA Focus: Key Details (10 minutes)

ELA Focus: Key Details (15 minutes)

  • This version of Nosey’s Fact File allows you to provide the same content at a lower skill level.

Text-to-Speech