FCATWhatalienspeciesiscreepingalongtheshoresofPugetSound?The“weedwhackers”ofLincolnElementary,inMountVernon,WashingtonSpartinaisaperfectlygoodplant.Itcreatesahabitatandfoodformanyfishandwildlife.SowhydothekidsatLincolnElementarySchoolinMountVernon,Washington,wanttogetridofit?It’sbecausespartinashouldn’tliveontheWestCoast.InWashingtonState’sPugetSound,spartinahasturnedintoalife-chokingweed.RealWorldReadingComprehensionGenreNonfictionArticlesgiveinformationaboutrealpeople,places,orthings.MonitorComprehensionCompareandContrastWhenauthorscomparetwotopicsorideas,theyoftenusesignalwords,suchasalikeanddifferent.82P3v2_U4W3_TFK_RD09_FL.indd8212/6/064:15:25PM��������SavingEgypt’sGreatDesertSavingEgypt’sGreatDesertAmrShannonAnancientcrocodilefossilfromtheValleyoftheWhalesEgypt’svastWesternDesertis600mileslongand900mileswide—andit’sveryhot.Temperaturesinthesummercangoupto100degrees.TheWesternDesertusedtobeoneofEarth’smostprivatespots,butnowitisdifferent.Manyvisitorsaremakingitapopulartouristattraction.Newroadsandbuildingsarethreateningnativeplantsandanimalsofthedesertecosystem.Somevisitorsevenremovepricelessfossilsfromthedesert.Amr(AH•muhr)ShannonisanexpertontheWesternDesert.Hewantstoprotectit,especiallyanareaknownastheValleyoftheWhales.Itisfullofancientcrocodile,shark,andwhalefossils.“Fossilsaredisappearingataveryfastrate,”saysShannon.Theyshouldn’tberemoved.Shannonthinkskidsbetweentheagesof6and12canlearntoprotectthedesert.Hetakesgroupsofkidsonatwo-daydesertadventureforhands-onresearch.“Ifindthatchildrenabsorbmorethanadults,”hesays.“Theyarethefuture,theoneswhoarereallygoingtomakeadifference.”RealWorldReadingVocabularynativeshouldn’tresearchsproutclumps80P3v2_U4W3_TFKTLK_RD09_FL.indd8012/6/064:12:10PMAnswerQuestionsFCATGoonTestStrategyThinkandSearchTheanswerisinmorethanoneplace.Keepreadingtofindtheanswer.StudentsinJeanMahoney’sclassworkedallyeartocleanupAranaCreekinCalifornia.AranaCreekispartoftheAranaGulchwatershed.Awatershedisanareawherewaterfr...
