by Brenda Z. Guiberson

Illustratedby

Megan Lloyd

Shared Reading Slides

Cactus

HotelWords You

Need to Know

Saguaro • noun• pronounced

"sah-wah-roh”• large, tree-

sized cactus• native to the

Sonoran Desert

Paloverde Tree• Palo Verde is

Spanish for "green pole" or "green stick."

• The Palo Verde (pal-oh ver-dee) is Arizona's official state tree.

tough

•adjective (describes a noun)•strong or firm, but flexible and not brittle

ribs• noun• any of the paired

curved bony rods that stiffen the walls of the body of most vertebrates

• something resembling a rib in shape or function

discovered

• to make known or visible • to obtain sight or knowledge of

for the first time

insects

• noun• any of a class (Insecta) of

arthropods (as bugs or bees) with well-defined head, thorax, and abdomen, only three pairs of legs, and typically one or two pairs of wings

treat

• noun• anything that gives

pleasure or enjoyment

remains• verb:–stays behind

• noun:–what stays behind after everything else is gone–what’s left

bores• verb• to make a hole by

cutting out material with an instrument

insulated •adjective (describes a noun)

• covered, lined, or separated with material that prevents or reduces the passage of heat, electricity, or sound

toppled

• verb–to fall over

• adjective–lay in after having fallen

Let’s Make Some Predictions…

Where does this story take

place?

Setting

What story clues

helped you?

Let’s Make Some Predictions…

What kind of story do you think this is?

Genre

How do you know?

Let’s Make Some Predictions…

What do you think you might find out from

reading this story?

PurposeWhat are

some questions you might be able to answer?

Causeand

Effect

The storm was terrible. The lightning flashed while the wind roared. I saw a bright flash of white followed by a sudden glow of orange. A tree in the field had been struck and was now on fire.

• CAUSE – What made it happen?

• EFFECT – What happened?

• CAUSE – What made it happen?

–The tree was struck by lightning.

• EFFECT – What happened?

–The tree caught on fire.

The saguaro fruit ripens.

CAUSE EFFECT

The fruit falls on the ground and splits open.

page 59

The cactus seed falls in a safe spot.

CAUSE EFFECT

The seed grows into a cactus.

page 61

page 61

• Cause– Because…• the squirrel and the finch do not see it.–Why is that

good?»Because they

won’t eat it.

• Effect

– It’s a good place for a seed to drop.

•Why?

Time to Share What You Learned!

Compare Your

Predictions to What You

Read

Use all of your notes to help you

with the story

activity.