Read & Explore 95: The Fox Without a Tail

It happened that a Fox caught its tail in a trap, and in struggling to release himself lost all of it but the stump. At first he was ashamed to show himself among his fellow foxes. But at last he determined to put a bolder face upon his misfortune, and summoned all the foxes to a general meeting to consider a proposal which he had to place before them. When they had assembled together the Fox proposed that they should all do away with their tails. He pointed out how inconvenient a tail was when they were pursued by their enemies, the dogs; how much it was in the way when they desired to sit down and hold a friendly conversation with one another. He failed to see any advantage in carrying about such a useless encumbrance. “That is all very well,” said one of the older foxes; “but I do not think you would have recommended us to dispense with our chief ornament if you had not happened to lose it yourself.”

Distrust interested advice.

Activities:

1. Find 5 words that rhyme with tail. Then make a sentence with each new word or make up a story with the new words.

2. Could the Fox avoid losing its tail when it was caught in a trap? Provide the Fox a suggestion what to do after it lost its tail. Then watch the video about the Fox without a tail. Is there any person in your life who looks like the Fox without a tail? How would you plan to help them?

Read & Explore 94: Why Bears Have Short Tails

One winter day, Bear met Fox in the woods. Fox had many tasty fish. The fish made Bear’s mouth water.

“How can I get fish?” asked Bear.

Fox said, “Cut a hole in the ice. Hang your long tail down it. Fish will bite your tail. Wait and you will get many fish.”

Bear did this. But his long tail got very cold. It broke off when he pulled it up.

And that’s why bears have short tails.

Activities:

1. Work with your partner to make bear shapes by tangram pieces. Try making as many as you can.

2.  Did Bear once have a long tail? If yes, how do you know about it? Did Fox trick Bear into losing its tail in this story? If yes, think about why Fox did this to Bear. Then watch the video about How Bear Lost His Tail. What do you learn from this video? Discuss with your partners.

Read & Explore 93: Jellyfish

Have you ever seen a jellyfish? Is a jellyfish a fish? Actually, a jellyfish is not a fish. It is a sea animal without backbone. It is an invertebrate. A jellyfish is not made of jelly. It is made mostly of water.

Some jellyfish are as clear as glass. Others have very beautiful colors. All are soft and mushy. They come in all sizes. Some are tiny, but some can grow into giants. The smallest are just one millimeter wide. The largest jellyfish, the Lion’s mane jellyfish, on average are around 3 feet wide.

A jellyfish has many arms. They hang down like soft ribbons. But the soft arms can sting. Their stings might be very painful, some even deadly. Be very careful! Stay away from them!

Activities:

1. Compare the size of the Lion’s mane jellyfish with the smallest jellyfish. According to this passage, on average, how many times larger is the Lion’s mane jellyfish than the smallest jellyfish?

2. Is a jellyfish a fish? Why should you stay away from a jellyfish? Watch the video to learn more about jellyfish. Then discuss with your partners.