Perspectives Trees: Why Do We Need Them? by Okapi

PERSPECTIVES

Trees

Why Do We Need Them? 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: 978-1-76086-657-0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 21 22 23 24 25

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Perspectives

Trees

Why Do We Need Them??

Series Consultant: Linda Hoyt

Contents Introduction 4 Tree story

Speak out!

I love where I live

How to write about your opinion

Introduction Trees – why do we need them? Did you know that the world would end if there were no trees? So, trees really do mean life! Without them, we would not survive. But why is this the case? Why are trees so important?

Tree story Every tree has a story, a story about its life cycle. Read about the life cycle of the maple tree. What does this make you think about?

A woodpecker pecked for insects that lived beneath the tree’s bark.

A maple tree grew tall in the forest. The tree was a busy place.

Squirrels scampered in the tree’s branches. 6

Blue jays flew in and out of the tree all day.

A family of barred owls looked out from a hollow high in the tree’s branches. 7

One day, lightning struck the old maple tree. Down it fell.

Ants built nests under the bark.

Slugs moved in. A raccoon built its den in a hole.

Millipedes liked the cool, damp spaces between the old tree and the forest floor.

Some animals left, but new ones came.

After many years, the old tree rotted and crumbled. Then, one day, in the very place the great old tree once stood, a tiny, new tree sprouted. And that was the beginning of a new tree story.

Toadstools and mushrooms appeared.

In time, fungi and moss covered the tree.

Earthworms helped turn the rotting tree into fine, black soil.

A new maple tree started to grow. 11

Speak out! ! Are trees important? Read what these students have to say.

We don’t know how much we are harming Earth by cutting down trees. Every day, we cut down more and more trees for farms and to make things such as wooden chairs, tables, paper, and even cardboard. We have to make sure that we don’t cut down all the trees.

Trees and plants are the start of the food chain, and without them, the circle of life wouldn’t work properly. Without plants, there would be no food for the herbivores that provide food for the carnivores.

Trees filter the air we breathe. Humans breathe in oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. Without trees, we would not have enough oxygen in the air to survive. Without air, the human race will cease to exist.

My favorite tree is the weeping willow tree because, when I step through the branches, I feel like I have stepped into a magic kingdom. I imagine there are lots of fairies and small unicorns flying around. 13

I love where I live Written by Ally Adams Ally loves the trees around her house, but sometimes, they worry her. Would you live where Ally lives? I just love living where I do. Our house is high on a hill, and we can see the ocean in the distance. It can be blue and sparkling or gray and stormy, but it is always wonderful to look at. All around us are tall trees, and they are beautiful. There are all sorts of birds, and some of them will eat special bird food from our hands. I love living here, but sometimes, it is scary. 14

In summer, it gets very hot and we worry about wildfires. It can be quiet and still, and then suddenly, we can hear the wind come roaring through the trees. It’s the Santa Ana. And I don’t like it. Lots of the trees around us could catch fire very quickly, so we listen to the radio and make sure that we know if there are any fires nearby. When strong winds blow, the trees bend, and small branches break off and are blown to the ground. Will any of the trees fall down? Will they fall on our house? My mom and dad always make sure that the trees near us are safe. Sometimes, a tree needs to be cut down because some of its branches are beginning to rot and die, and the tree could fall. We know that our trees can be dangerous, but we still love living here.

How to write about your opinion 1. State your opinion Think about the main question 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 We Must Protect Old-Growth Forests

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.

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.

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 P (38)

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