The Great Animal Dad-Off
Narrator: Welcome to the annual Animal Kingdom Awards! Today, we are broadcasting live from the Wild Stage. We are here to crown the winner of the most prestigious title in nature: The Best Dad Award. Our contestants are lined up and ready to prove that they have what it takes to be the ultimate father. Letās meet our judge, Barnaby the Grumpy Crab.
Barnaby the Crab: (Banging a gavel) Letās get this over with. I have a tide to catch. Who is our first contestant? Step forward and tell us why you deserve this shiny golden trophy.
Sammy Seahorse: (Floating forward gracefully) That would be me, Barnaby! Iām Sammy the Seahorse. And frankly, the competition can just go home now. I donāt just help out with the kidsāI actually carry them! My wife gives me the eggs, and I keep them safe right here in my specialized brood pouch.
Barnaby the Crab: A pouch, you say? Like a kangaroo?
- Brood pouch:
- A specialized pocket in some male animals used to carry and protect developing eggs.
- Endurance:
- The ability to withstand a difficult or painful process for a long time.
- Canal:
- A path or tunnel dug into the ground to allow water to flow from one place to another.
- Predator:
- An animal that naturally preys on or hunts others for food.
- Nutrients:
- Substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where does Sammy the Seahorse carry his babies until they are born?
- 2Why does Paulie the Penguin have to keep the egg on his feet?
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About this reader's theater passage for Upper Elementary
āThe Great Animal Dad-Offā is a reader's theater reading passage about Animal Fathers, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 7 minutes to read (1,081 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.