Perspectives Dangerous Animals: What Do You Need to Know?

PERSPECTIVES

Dangerous Animals

What Do You Need to Know?

Series Consultant: Linda Hoyt

Developed by Eleanor Curtain Publishing Printed and bound in China through Colorcraft Ltd, Hong Kong Distributed in the USA by Okapi Educational Publishing Inc. Phone: 866-652-7436 Fax: 800-481-5499 Email: info@myokapi.com www.myokapi.com www.flying-start-to-literacy.com ISBN: 978-1-76086-650-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 21 22 23 24 25

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Perspectives

Dangerous Animals What Do You Need to Know?

Series Consultant: Linda Hoyt

Contents Introduction 4 The truth about sharks

6

Speak out!

10

I’m not scared of snakes

12

Bear aware!

14

How to write about your opinion 16

Introduction Is it fair to blame wild animals if they harm us? What is our responsibility?

Animals defend themselves when they feel threatened.

They can do this by biting, stinging, scratching, or charging. So if you come across an animal in its natural habitat, you could be in danger. Would you know how to stay safe?

Are so-called dangerous animals all bad?

4

You decide!

5

The truth about sharks Of all the creatures in the sea, none inspire greater fear in swimmers everywhere than sharks!

But how dangerous are sharks to us? Or, are we more dangerous to them?

What do you think?

6

Look out!

Great white, tiger, and bull sharks are the most dangerous to humans. You may not see them, but they can see you! Sharks can see, smell, and feel prey moving from half a mile away.

Swift and deadly, sharks are the most fearsome hunters in the ocean.

Power jaws!

Sharks’ jaws are so strong, they can bite through steel cables. And their mouths are filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. When a tooth wears out, a new one moves in to replace it.

A shark may shed 50,000 teeth in its lifetime!

7

Sharks Of all the creatures in the sea, none are more beautiful or more misunderstood than sharks.

8

Top predators Sharks are at the top of the ocean food chain and help keep the oceans healthy. Sharks eat fish, squid, and other ocean animals – not people.

Safe to swim The truth is, sharks avoid humans and rarely bite.

On average, one person every two years dies from a shark bite in the United States. That makes sharks far less dangerous than cows, which kill about 20 Americans a year.

If a shark does bite, usually it’s just curious, or has mistaken a surfboard for a seal. Like any wild animals, sharks will bite if you disturb them.

Endangered Humans kill 100 million sharks every year. Some are hunted for food. Others are caught accidentally in fishing nets. We are far more dangerous to sharks than they are to us!

9

Speak out!

Are all animals dangerous? Read what these students think.

Some tiny animals are dangerous.

Mosquitoes are small but in some places deadly. In some countries around the world, mosquitoes carry disease. So when you are bitten, they can pump the disease into you. This is why you should always check if you need an injection before traveling.

10

A re lions really dangerous? To me, it depends, because yes, they can kill.

But we also kill animals to eat them.

Many animals can be dangerous.

Some pets can be dangerous if they are frightened or if you invade their space. My cat can be dangerous. If she doesn’t want to do something, she scratches!

L ast summer, when I was hiking with my dad, we saw a snake. I was really frightened, but Dad helped me to stay calm. He said we must take care not to frighten it because we were hiking in its home. Dad made sure that we were wearing the right gear before we went hiking. I was wearing long pants and shoes.

11

I’m not scared of snakes Written by Jennifer Butchet Cobra Caroline founded a snake rescue organization called Reptiles Alive. And her two best friends are snakes!

How would you like to have two snakes as “best friends?”

What do you do as a wildlife rehabilitator?

I’m licensed by the state to nurse injured reptiles.

I’ve looked after snakes that have been hit by cars or lawn mowers, attacked by cats, and tangled in plastic landscape netting. After taking them to the vet, I care for them until they’re ready to be released back into the wild.

12

You also rescue snakes, right?

Yes. At Reptiles Alive, we take in many unwanted snakes that used to be pets.

Are you scared of being bitten?

I use special equipment (gloves, snake hooks) so that I don’t come into direct contact with venomous snakes.

But snakes are so scared of people that their main goal is to get away.

Do snakes help us?

Yes! They eat tons of rodents that eat our crops and spread disease. And their venom is used to make medicine that helps treat people with cancer, heart disease, and other ailments. A snake could save your life one day!

13

Bear aware!

If you are in a national park, you might see a black bear because you are in its home. But black bears can be dangerous to humans.

So what should you do if you see a black bear?

14

If you see a black bear . . .

• Stop! Don't run because it might chase you.

• Make yourself look big.

• Say “Leave me alone.” This lets the bear know you are a person and other people know that you need help.

• Back away slowly.

• Tell an adult.

15

How to write about your opinion 1. State your opinion Think about the main questions in the introduction on page 4 of this book. What is your opinion?

2. Research Look for other information that you need to back up your opinion.

Related information book Deadly Venom: Killer or Cure?

Internet

Other sources

3. Make a plan Introduction How will you “hook” the reader?

Write a sentence that makes your opinion clear.

List reasons to support your opinion.

Reason 1

Reason 2

Reason 3

Support your reason with examples.

Support your reason with examples.

Support your reason with examples.

Conclusion Write a sentence that makes your opinion clear. Leave your reader with a strong message.

4. Publish Publish your writing.

Include some graphics or visual images.

16

© 2020 EC Licensing Pty. Ltd.

EARLY EMERGENT STAGE

EMERGENT STAGE

EARLY STAGE

Level A Level B Level C Level D Level E (1) (2) (3–4) (6) (8)

TRANSITIONAL STAGE

Level F Level G Level H (10) (12) (14)

EARLY FLUENT STAGE CHAPTER BOOKS

Level I (16)

Level J (18)

FLUENT STAGE CHAPTER BOOKS

Level K (20)

FLUENT PLUS STAGE CHAPTER BOOKS

Level L Level M Level N Level O Level P (24) (28) (30) (34) (38)

Fluent Plus Level N (30)*

FLYING START TO LITERACY Paired books

Perspectives books

Amazing Salamanders

Owning a Pet: What Should You Think About?

Salamander Surprise!

Corn Crazy The Great Corn Invention Food Rescue: Making Food Go Further The King of Waste Saving Wild Wolves Wolf Secret Famous Finds The Lost Tomb Working in the Wild The Goodmans Go Camping

Fluent Plus Level O (34)*

Riding the Waves Wipe-out!

Deadly Venom: Killer or Cure?

The Stubborn Princess The Question of Water Ming Saves the Day Seasons in the Kelp Forest Thunder Cave Nature’s Red Flags Bring Back the Frogs!

Dragons Dragon Tales

Fluent Plus Level P (38)*

Incredible Underground Homes The Wild Caves Wildfires A Hard Choice We Must Protect Old-Growth Forests Dan’s Trees Under the Ice Professor Valdor and the Giant Laser The Plastic Plague The Plastic-free Challenge Electric Wind: The Story of William Kamkwamba Marvelous Maddie

Food: What’s Good? What’s Bad? Stop Wasting Food!

How Can We Do It? The Big, Bad Wolf: True or False?

What is Treasure?

What Do You Value?

Wildlife in the City: Why Should We Protect It? Being Brave: What Does It Mean?

Dangerous Animals: What Do You Need to Know?

Water: The Key to Life?

Planet Ocean: How Important is It? Mini Beasts: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Scary Stories: The Scarier the Better?

Places People Live: When is a Home a Home?

Fire: Friend or Foe? Trees: Why Do We Need Them?

Setting Goals: What’s Important?

Plastic: Helpful or Harmful?

Thinking Outside the Box: What Does It Mean?

* Levels indicated by letters are Okapi’s unique measurements, comparable to the Guided Reading levels of Fountas and Pinnell. Numerical levels in parentheses align with DRA.

Flying Start to Literacy: Level O (34)

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