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The Cold Morning Iguanas Fell: Two Accounts

Read a student's journal and a wildlife volunteer's article about iguanas stunned by a cold morning, then compare their points of view.

Grade 5ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.5.6

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
10 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 5
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students compare two accounts of the same event and note important similarities and differences.
Students explain how each writer's point of view shapes what the account includes.

How to use

Have students read both accounts, then talk about who wrote each one and why. Students can answer on their own or with a partner.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.5.6

Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the points of view they represent.

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The Cold Morning Iguanas Fell: Two Accounts

Compare two accounts of the same event and their points of view.

Read the two accounts

Both texts tell about the same cold morning in South Florida. Read them both.

Account 1: Saskia's Journal

1This morning was the coldest I can remember. I put on my puffy jacket, which I almost never wear, and went outside to wait for the school bus. That is when I saw it: a big green iguana lying stiff in the grass under our tree. It did not move at all.

2Then I saw another one on the sidewalk and a third one by the neighbor's fence. My heart sank. I was sure they had fallen out of the trees and died. Mom said they were just too cold to move, but I did not believe her. One had its eyes half closed, and it looked so helpless.

3I begged Mom to let me carry one inside to warm it up. She shook her head and told me to leave it alone. I was upset the whole bus ride, and I could not stop thinking about the iguanas during math.

4When I got home, all three iguanas were gone. The sun had come out, and the air felt warm again. Mom said she saw one climb slowly back up our tree around lunchtime. I am so glad they are okay. Still, it seems unfair that they had to lie there in the cold while we were all bundled up in jackets.

Account 2: Why the Iguanas Fell, by Wynn Fairbanks, Wildlife Center Volunteer

1Our wildlife center got many calls after this week's cold night. People found iguanas lying still on lawns, sidewalks and even the hoods of cars. We understand why so many people were worried. The good news is that most of these iguanas were not dead. They were stunned by the cold.

2Iguanas are cold-blooded. This means their bodies do not make enough of their own heat, so their body temperature rises and falls with the air around them. On an unusually cold night, an iguana's body slows down so much that it can barely move. Iguanas often rest in trees, so when they become too stiff to hold on, they lose their grip and fall.

3As the sun warms them, most iguanas slowly start moving again. Please do not bring a stunned iguana into your home or car. As it warms up, it may wake up frightened and scratch, bite or whip its tail. Leave it where it is, or call a wildlife center if it is in a dangerous spot, such as a road.

4It is also worth remembering that green iguanas are not native to Florida. They first came from Central and South America, often as pets that escaped or were let go. Here, they eat garden plants and dig burrows that can damage sidewalks and seawalls. A cold morning reminds us that this animal is built for warmer places.

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