Example for Grade 5: Informational – Ready for a Nap - ID: 3317

Every single day a grizzly loped through the meadows in search of insects, berries and, small rodents… Food seemed to be the only thing on her mind.

But as she grew fatter the air grew colder, she began to search for something else her winter den. when she found a place that suited her. on a steep north-facing slope at the base of a tree, she started to dig. As large bear it was a tight fit as she tunnled under the tree roots it would make a strong roof for her den, but she only neede enough space to squeeze into her bedroom. In the spring, after four or five months of a deep sleep called hibernation, she would be much thinner.

Late in November, when the temperture had dropped below freezing, the big grizzly no longer raced across the open meadow. Day after day she acted as if she were walking in her sleep. Then one day, when the wind whipped the snow in swirls around her, the bear crawled into her den.

All night it snowed, covering the entrance of the den with snow, no one would be able to find it the grizzly was safe for the winter, cozy and warm beneath the blanket of snow. She would not eat or drink food or water… until spring. her heart rate would slow down from its usual 40 to 50 beats a minute to 10 or 12. Her temperture would drop a few degrees, and she would breath slow just like a human would in a deep sleep.