Article
CHRIS MATTISON/NPL/MINDEN PICTURES
Mini Read,

This Lizard Can Lick Its Eyeball!

It’s a bad idea for us to lick our eyeballs. But it’s a great idea for this small lizard!

By Talia Cowen
From the December 2020 / January 2021 Issue
Lexile: 420L
Guided Reading Level: L
DRA Level: 20-24
Vocabulary: gecko, eyelid
Topic: Science,
Common Core Standards
  • RI.2.1 Key details RI.2.4 Vocabulary RI.2.5 Nonfiction text features RI.2.10 Read grade 2- appropriate informational text SL.2 Participate in conversations about grade 2 texts
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs.
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Can you stick out your tongue and lick your nose? Most people can’t.

Can you stick out your tongue just a little more and lick your eyeball? Almost no one can do that!

Now, it’s a really bad idea for us to lick our eyeballs. But it’s a great idea for a small lizard called the crested gecko. This gecko needs to wet its eyeballs.

Why? The gecko doesn’t have something that we use every day. It doesn’t have eyelids.

Amazing Eyelids

SUSAN SCHMITZ/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 

 

Eyelids are the thin pieces of skin above and below your eyes. You move them when you close your eyes or blink.

Eyelids have a big job. They wipe away dust. Every time you blink, you’re cleaning your eyes.

The crested gecko doesn’t have eyelids. So it uses its long, sticky tongue to do the same job. Its tongue shoots out. Slurp! The gecko licks its eyeball.

That covers the eye with spit. The spit cleans off all the dust. Now the gecko’s eyeball is squeaky clean!

Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities

More About the Article

Science Focus

Animal adaptations

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. BEFORE READING

Preview Vocabulary (3-5 minutes)

  • Play the online vocabulary slideshow. This article’s featured words are gecko and eyelids.

Preview the Nonfiction Text Features/Visuals (5-10 minutes)

  • Take a look at the nonfiction text features. First, focus on the big photo. Ask kids to share what they notice about the gecko.
  • Can they find the caption pointing to the big photo of the gecko? A caption is a word or group of words that give information about a photo. What does the caption say? (This crested gecko is cleaning its eyeball.)

Introduce Nosey (3 minutes)

  • Point out our doggie character Nosey at the bottom of page 3. Ask someone to read her voice bubble.
  • Explain that Nosey pops up throughout Storyworks 2. Not only does she have a long nose to sniff out facts, but she’s also nosy! She’s curious and wants to know about everything.

2. READ THE ARTICLE (10 minutes)

  • You can read this short article aloud together as a class, in small groups, or individually.
  • Point out the context clue that helps define the bold word eyelids. After the word, you can find the sentence “Eyelids are the thin pieces of skin around your eyes.”

3. AFTER READING

ELA Focus: Quiz (10 minutes)

  • Pass out the quiz for a quick comprehension check.

ELA Focus: Key Details (20 minutes)

  • It’s time to help Nosey fill out her Fact File! Print out Nosey’s Fact File from the Resources section of our website. Kids can find facts from the article.
  • Each fact box is scaffolded to help kids know what to write.
  • Kids can share their facts with a partner, the other students at their tables, or the class.

Text-to-Speech