Roll and Read (Yellow) 1 2 3 4 5 The shelter was just across the bay from their house. Dana’s favorite job, however, was introducing people to the dogs waiting for adoption. Dana forgot about the snowstorm as she entered the animal shelter. Dana worked with Dr. Tran and Maria. They had taught her a lot about dogs already. Many of them raced to the front of their cages to greet her. Stumpy led the pack. He had lost his front leg in a fight, but he ran just as quickly as the other dogs. Her pink tongue darted out of her mouth to lick Dana’s hand. After Dana had finished visiting with the dogs, she went back to the office area. Others whined and whimpered. Dana stood in the doorway and stared. She had never seen so many sick dogs. Suddenly Dana heard a noise and noticed movement in the snow. Dana’s mom carefully picked up the puppy. Then she and Dana hurried back to the shelter. Dana listened as Dr. Tran explained how she and her mom had found the dog. To her surprise, he held the phone out to her. “We want to thank you so much for finding Inky.” Dana thought, relieved. She couldn’t wait to see what would happen next week at the shelter. Dana watched as her mom and Dr. Tran rushed to care for the puppy. The two veterinarians wrapped him in warm towels and rubbed him softly. Dana and Maria got to work putting away the supplies of dog food and treats. The notes of a symphony filled the room. Dana stepped into each cage. She poured fresh food and water into the bowls. Dana decided to spend extra time with the new puppy, Elvis. Then she spent several minutes cuddling each dog. Maria and Dana started down the long hall to the kennel area. As they walked, Dana heard loud wailing noises. She knew they were coming from the dogs. The road to the shelter crossed over the bay. Dana looked for boats in the channel, but there were none. If you roll a 6, choose 1 block to read.
Roll and Read (Green) 1 2 3 4 5 When a whale is stranded, its body weight presses on its heart and lungs. The whale can have a hard time breathing. Sometimes all that stranded whales need is to be kept cook and calm until the tide rises. Its skin can dry out, crack, and become sore. Then the rescuers herd the whales into groups and push them out into deeper water. If the whales find a deep channel of water, they are able to swim out to the open sea. In 1986, at Eastham, Massachusetts three young pilot whales stranded. They had come into a shallow bay. Scientists were called to help. A crowd waited anxiously on the beach until they arrived. They decided to take them to an aquarium for care. At the aquarium a crane moved the whales out of the truck and into a tank. It took the young whales a few days to get used to aquarium life. They were fed small fish stuffed with vitamins and medicines. Whales know when they’re in trouble. Usually, they cooperate with their human rescuers. Then, front-end loaders lifted each whale into a truck. The young whales were placed on stretchers. Only the front-end loaders could move the heavy whales. Scientists do not fully understand why whales strand. One idea is that the lead whale becomes sick and swims off course. Here’s how people help stranded whales. The whales are surrounded by volunteers and scientists. The scientists use their supplies to do medical tests on the whales. Whales are sea mammals. Many people like whales for the melodies of their songs. Whale songs have been called symphonies. Usually, whales swim the seas easily. But sometimes they get stuck in shallow water or grounded on a beach. If you roll a 6, choose 1 block to read.
Roll and Read (Blue) 1 2 3 4 5 This system of “seeing” with sound is called echolocation. Whales make clicking sounds when they blow air through special tubes in their heads. Many species of whales are endangered. Scientists around the world are studying how whales behave and communicate. There is no guarantee that we will be able to help all the whales that are endangered. Whales are known as cetaceans. Cetaceans breathe through a blowhole at the back of their heads. The flukes, or ends of their tails, push them through the water by flapping up and down. Wolves used to live everywhere in North America. In addition, ranchers began shooting wolves in order to protect their cattle and sheep. To keep track of where the wolves were living, the scientists put special collars on them. The collars had transmitters that sent a signal to a special receiver. This allows the scientists to know where the wolves were. Canids are carnivorous, dog-like animals. Scientists are not completely sure how wolves and people first came in contact. One way that our dogs can get into trouble is by getting lost. The famous gorilla Koko, who was raised by animal psychologist Penny Patterson, has had three pet cats. A primate is a kind of land mammal with a large brain and flexible fingers and toes. Some people also think that sonar might disrupt the whales. Today, however, large ships are driven by noisy propellers. Some marine biologists who study whales think that human activities cause whales to beach. Along the Massachusetts coast in 2002, more than fifty whales stranded themselves on beaches. Whales are beached almost every migration season. To say warm in the cold ocean water, all whales have a thick layer of blubber, or fat. Orca, narwhal, and sperm whales are toothed whales. Blue, humpback, and right whales are baleen whales. If you roll a 6, choose 1 block to read.