Image of pile of colorful gummy bears
Page 26: Shutterstock.com (All Images); Page 27: Marybeth Butler Rivera (Squeeze Toy); Maximum Film/Alamy Stock Photo (The Gummi Bears); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)
Nonfiction,

The Real Gummy Bears

Gummy bears have been around for more than 100 years. What do you know about this sweet treat? 

From the December 2024/January 2025 Issue

Learning Objective: Children will compare fiction and nonfiction texts about gummy bears.

Lexiles: 400L
Topic: Social Studies,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and images RI.1.7 Use visuals RI.1.9 Compare texts SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative discussions with peers and adults SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud
TEKS Standards
  • Health
    (2) Physical health and hygiene—personal health and hygiene. The student understands health literacy, preventative health behaviors, and how to access and evaluate health care information to make informed decisions. The student is expected to: (B) describe personal hygiene and health habits that enhance individual health such as personal hygiene, oral hygiene, and getting enough sleep.

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Yummy Gummies

Gummy bears come in different colors. Sometimes the flavor does not match the color. A clear gummy bear can be pineapple. A green one can be strawberry. 

Gummy Mania

Over the years, gummy bears have been very popular. There was once a cartoon about gummy bears. Now there are toys that look like gummies.

More Gummies

Gummy bears are not the only  gummy candy. Have you seen gummy worms? Look at that gummy hamburger. What a funny gummy! 

Brush Away the Gummies

Gummies are yummy. But they have a lot of sugar in them. If sugar stays on your teeth too long, you can get a cavity. So brush your teeth if you eat a gummy. That gets the sugar off!

video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
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Slideshows (1)
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Fiction/nonfiction

Social Studies Focus

History and culture

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole group

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue: "You Can’t Catch Me, I’m the Gummy Bear!"
  • From the Storyworks 1 archive: "Mini History: The True Story of Popsicles" (December 2022/January 2023); "Alike and Different: The Truth Behind Chocolate and Vanilla" (February 2023)

Before-Reading Resources

  • Vocabulary slideshow (5 minutes) flavor, popular
  • Video: Fiction and Nonfiction (5 minutes) Learn about what you might find in fiction and nonfiction texts.

Suggested Reading Focus

Comparing fiction and nonfiction (20 minutes)

  • Before reading this article, talk about the difference between fiction and nonfiction. Say that fiction—like “You Can’t Catch Me, I’m the Gummy Bear”—is made-up. It is not true. Ask students for ways they know that the story was fiction. (The gummy bear talks and runs. The story is illustrated.) Then tell students that they will read a nonfiction article about gummy bears. Ask students what they will likely see and read in a nonfiction article (true facts and information; photographs).
  • Read the article aloud while students follow along in their magazines. Then read the article again with student volunteers for each section.
  • When you finish, ask students how “You Can’t Catch Me, I’m the Gummy Bear” and “The Real Gummy Bears” are similar and different. Which did they prefer? Why?

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Punctuation; comparing texts (15 minutes)

Text-to-Speech