Illustration of Bigfoot walking in the woods at night
Art by Gary Hanna
Nonfiction,

A Creature in the Dark

One dark night 60 years ago, something walked out of the woods. Or did it?

By Lauren Tarshis
From the October/November 2022 Issue
Lexiles: 510L, 270L
Guided Reading Level: J, H
Featured Skill: Main Idea, Key Details,
Vocabulary: vanished, shrieks, shy
Topic: Social Studies,
Common Core Standards
  • RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.7 Use visuals SL.1.1 Discuss grade-1 texts SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details L.1.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to a word’s meaning
TEKS Standards
  • Social Studies
    (4) Geography. The student understands the purpose of geographic tools, including maps and globes. The student is expected to: (A) create and use simple maps such as maps of the home, classroom, school, and community.
  • 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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Listen and Think

As you listen to this story, ask yourself: Is Bigfoot real?

It was a cold winter night. Robert Hatfield heard dogs howling. He went outside to find out why.

He stared into the dark woods. Something was out there. Something big. Something wild.  

Then he saw it. It was a huge creature in the shadows.  Maybe it was a bear.

Robert rushed back inside to tell his family. Then he went into the yard. Bam! He crashed into the creature.

“It was covered with fur, with a flat, hairless face and perfectly round eyes,” he said. 

Robert ran away. The creature vanished into the woods. 

What was this big creature? It was a mystery.

PAUSE AND THINK:  What did Robert think he saw?

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

People read about the footprints in newspapers. 

Old Stories

Robert’s story was not new. For years, people had told tales about Bigfoot. 

The first stories were told by Native Americans. Some tribes shared stories of a huge hairy man.

Over the years, the stories spread. They turned into tales about a beast we now call Bigfoot. 

People told spooky stories about Bigfoot around campfires. It was just for fun. Nobody really believed they were true.  

Then something changed.

PAUSE AND THINK:  What had people been telling stories about for many years?

CRAIG LOVELL/EAGLE VISIONS PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (FOREST); SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (FOOTPRINTS, BINOCULARS)

Was Bigfoot in these woods?

Giant Footprints

What made people start to believe Bigfoot was real? Footprints!

One summer, people found strange footprints in the woods. They were huge!

People also started hearing strange noises at night. They sounded like shrieks.

Soon, everyone was reading about the big footprints in newspapers. People started asking about this real-life mystery: Could Bigfoot be real?

PAUSE AND THINK:  What appeared in the woods?

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES (BIGFOOT HOAX)

Two men said they took a video of Bigfoot. 

Looking for Clues

People searched the woods for more clues. Some said they saw new footprints. Some found fur and animal poop. 

And then two men took a video. In the blurry video, a big creature walks along in the woods. This had to be proof. Bigfoot was real! 

Or was it? 

PAUSE AND THINK:  What did people find that could have been Bigfoot’s?

Fake Footprints

People looked closely at the video. Most animal experts said it was fake. 

They also said the fur and poop weren’t proof that Bigfoot was real.

Large animals like moose and bears live in the woods, after all. They leave behind fur and poop. 

Animals can make loud noises too. Sometimes foxes let out loud shrieks. 

And the footprints? They turned out to be fake. Years later, two brothers said they had put fake footprints in the woods. It had been a joke.

PAUSE AND THINK:  Were the footprints and video real?

Bigfoot Believers

COURTESY OF TEESHIRTPALACE.COM (SHIRT); COURTESY OF DOUGLASTOYS.COM (DOLL); ©NWAVE PICTURES, 2020 (POSTER)

There are Bigfoot stuffed animals, clothes, movies, and books.

Some people still think that Bigfoot is out there. There are Bigfoot books, movies, and toys. Why do so many people believe in Bigfoot?

Nobody has ever said that Bigfoot is dangerous. In most stories, he is shy. Maybe people like to believe in a gentle giant.

Do you? 

Your Turn to Read!: Bigfoot or Big Fake?

Here are the clues. Read them. Then say if you think Bigfoot is real or not.

DESIGN PICS INC/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

There are Bigfoot stuffed animals, clothes, movies, and books.

People saw Bigfoot.

It may have been a bear.

BETTMANN/GETTY IMAGES

People made a video.

It looks fake.

CAVAN IMAGES/OFFSET

People saw fur.

Other animals have fur.

ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

People heard sounds.

Foxes make those sounds.

TODD DRUMWRIGHT/THE ALEXANDRIA TOWN TALK/USA TODAY NETWORK 

People saw footprints.

They were fake.

What does your class think?

Is there a Bigfoot?

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More About the Article

Science Focus

Animal behaviors, environment 

Social Studies Focus

Culture

Vocabulary

vanished, shrieks, shy 

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

The essential question of this issue is What is a mystery? The articles below connect to this theme.

  • Background Builder: “What Is Bigfoot?,” p. 8
  • Big Read-Aloud: “A Creature in the Dark,” p. 10
  • Fiction: “Aunt Eater Sees a Monster,” p. 24
  • Poetry: “We Call Our Teacher Mister E.,” p. 32

Through the above genres, students will discuss:

  • What are the parts of a mystery?
  • How are all mysteries alike? How can they be different?
  • Do I like reading this kind of story? Why or why not?

IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS

Read-Aloud

  • Nonfiction read-alouds give children access to more complex written text that is on their listening level. Use it to develop children’s comprehension, knowledge, vocabulary, and understanding of nonfiction text.

Paired Text

Background Builder

  • Pair your read-aloud with “Background Builder: What Is Bigfoot?” (p. 8). This is a lower-level nonfiction article that gives children background knowledge before they encounter the Big Read-Aloud. It features simple headings for children to practice reading. Use it during small-group reading time. Then children can read it again with a partner.

Technology time

Video Read-Aloud

  • Kids can hear the article read aloud and see the imagery come to life. This online resource models fluent reading. The footage helps solidify comprehension—and kids will be fascinated!

1. BEFORE READING

Show Video (10 minutes)

  • Tell your students they are going to watch a video about mysteries. (This video also goes with other stories in this issue). As they watch, ask them to think about the essential question: “What is a mystery?”
  • After watching, ask the question again. Have children turn and talk to a partner and then volunteer their answers. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.

Preview Vocabulary (3-5 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue features rich vocabulary including: beast, shrieks, proof, fake, and shy.

Preview the First Pages and Set a Purpose for Reading (5-10 minutes)

  • Now tell students they are going to read a real-life mystery. It is about a creature called Bigfoot. The mystery is, Is Bigfoot real or not?
  • Open your magazines to “A Creature in the Dark.” Children will be excited by the images! Let them take a picture walk. Tell them that the pictures might give clues to the mystery. What do they see in the pictures? Could the pictures help us figure out whether Bigfoot is real?
  • You can also review some of the nonfiction text features in the story so children can follow along. Point out the headline, map, subheadings, and photo captions.

2. READ ALOUD (15-30 minutes)

  • Read each article section, modeling expressive, fluent reading. Check comprehension as you read together with the Pause and Think questions.
  • Turn to the sidebar at the end of the article, “Your Turn to Read: “Bigfoot or Big Fake?” It is written at a lower level, so children can practice reading text on the same topic as the main article. Encourage them to color the yes or no to answer the question at the end.

3. AFTER READING: FOCUS ON SKILLS

ELA Focus: Key details (10 minutes)

  • The Reading Checkpoint printable provides an opportunity to assess students’ understanding of key concepts from the article.

Writing Focus: Presenting Knowledge (20 minutes)

  • Explore elements of the mystery genre and engage children with the Make a Detective Badge activity. (This page also goes with other stories in the issue.)

ELA Focus: Writing (15 minutes)

  • The Be a Bigfoot Detective! activity allows children to engage with key details of the article at a lower skill level.

Text-to-Speech