Article
MOHAMAD HAGHANI/STOCKTREK IMAGES/SCIENCE SOURCE
Paired Texts,

Big Dino and Little Dino

Which do you dig?

By Catherine Schmitt
From the September 2022 Issue
Lexiles: 330L
Guided Reading Level: K
Vocabulary: Jurassic Period, carnivore, herbivore, predator, fierce
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.1 Key details RI.1.2 Main idea 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 two texts RI.1.10 Read grade-1 nonfiction texts SL.1.1 Discuss grade-1 texts L.1.4.a Use sentence-level context as a clue to a word’s meaning
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (9) Organisms and Environments. The student knows that the living environment is composed of relationships between organisms and the life cycles that occur. The student is expected to: (C) gather evidence of interdependence among living organisms such as energy transfer through food chains or animals using plants for shelter. (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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I Dig the Big Dino!

Apatosaurus

(uh-pa-tuh-SOR-rus)

ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

How big?

Look at that big, long neck. This dino was as long as two school buses. Wow!


Yum, plants!

What did the big dino eat? It was an herbivore. That means it ate plants. It munched on tree leaves.


Going Slow

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

This dino walked on four legs. It was slow.

But predators didn’t bother it. It was just too huge!


I Dig the Little Dino!

Compsognathus

(komp-SOG-nu-thus)

DOTTED ZEBRA/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

How small?

ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Look at that little body. This dino was as small as a chicken. But it was fierce!


Yum, meat!

What did the little dino eat? It was a carnivore. That means it ate meat. It hunted for little lizards and bugs.


Going Fast

 DOTTED ZEBRA/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

This dino ran fast on two legs. It was speedy. It could run away from scary hunters.


THINK AND WRITE

Compare the dinos with this skill builder!

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

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Opinions

Comparing

Science Focus

Animal behaviors

Vocabulary

Jurassic Period, carnivore, herbivore, predator, fierce

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

IMPLEMENTATION SUGGESTIONS

Read-Aloud

  • Storyworks 1 provides a variety of text types and levels that you can use in different ways. One suggestion is to read “Big Dino and Little Dino” during a whole-class read-aloud. Use the articles’ parallel structures to discuss similarities and differences between the texts.

Writing Block

  • Opinion writing is a critical first-grade standard. After reading and discussing the article during read-aloud time, you can return to it later for your writing block. Have students use the information they learned to write an opinion piece.

1. BEFORE READING

Preview Vocabulary (3-5 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are Jurassic Period, herbivore, carrnivore, predator, and fierce.

Set a Purpose for Reading and Preview the Article (7-10 minutes)

  • Now tell students they are going to read about a big dinosaur and a little dinosaur. They can decide which one they like more.
  • Open your magazines to “Big Dino and Little Dino: Which do you dig?” Ask children what the word “dig” means in this sentence. (It means to like.) Why do they think the author used that word? Guide them to see its double meaning. What else can dig mean? Does digging in the dirt have anything to do with dino fossils?
  • Turn the page, and preview the parallel structure of the paired text. Read the headings, and point out the pronunciation guides. What do children notice about these two pages?

2. READ THE PAIRED TEXTS (15-30 MINUTES)

  •  Remind children that they will compare the dinos. They will decide which one they “dig.”
  • Starting with the first category (How Big/ Small?), discuss how the dinosaurs differ.
  • After reading, take a class vote. Which dinosaur do children dig? Tally their votes on chart paper. Call on volunteers to explain their choice. Make sure children back up their opinions with reasons. Help them use the word because, as in, “I like the small dinosaur because it is fierce.”

3. AFTER READING: FOCUS ON SKILLS

ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)

  • The Dino Sort printable helps kids compare and contrast. Students will cut out details from the articles and place them in the chart.

Writing Focus: Opinion Writing (20 minutes)

  • Use the Big or Small? skills page to help children practice writing opinions.

ELA Focus: Compare and Contrast (15 minutes)

  • The Which Dino? skills page provides additional support for promoting word recognition and comprehension of the text.

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