Hippos at the Zoo

Modeled Retelling
Val and her mom are going to the zoo. Val
has homework. She needs to learn two facts
about an animal.

Guided Retelling
Where are Val and her mom? What are they
doing there?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
Beginning
Point to Val. Point to Mom. Where
are Val and her mom?

Intermediate
Who is going to the zoo? What does
Val need to learn?

Advanced
Where are Val and her mom going?
Why are they going there?
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Illustrated by Hector Borlasca

Grade 2 • Unit 2 • Week 1

1
 Hippos at the Zoo
Modeled Retelling
Val is looking at the hippos. They have a big
pool. There is a shadow in the water. A huge
hippo head pops out of the water.

Guided Retelling
What is Val looking at? Why does she look
surprised? What is in the pool?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
Beginning
Point to the big pool. Who lives in
the pool?

Intermediate
What do the hippos have? What
pops out of the water?

Advanced
Describe what Val sees. What makes
the shadow in the water?
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Illustrated by Hector Borlasca

Grade 2 • Unit 2 • Week 1

2
 Hippos at the Zoo
Modeled Retelling
Val wonders why the hippo is covered in mud.
Scott works at the zoo. He tells Val the answer.
Mud keeps a hippo’s skin cool.

Guided Retelling
What does Val see? What does she want to
know? How does she learn the answer?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
Beginning
What is on the hippo? Mud keeps
the hippo .

Intermediate
What does Val see? What does Scott
tell Val about the hippo?

Advanced
What does Val want to know about
the hippo? Explain how Val learns
the answer.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Illustrated by Hector Borlasca

Grade 2 • Unit 2 • Week 1

3
 Hippos at the Zoo
Modeled Retelling
Scott tells Val more facts about hippos. Hippos
cannot swim. They are too heavy to float.
They have to walk in the river. Val is surprised
to hear this.

Guided Retelling
What does Scott tell Val about hippos? What
does Val think about what he says?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
Beginning
Who is Scott? Val is surprised to
learn that hippos cannot in
the water.

Intermediate
What is Val surprised to learn
about hippos? What can they do
in the water?

Advanced
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Explain what Val learns about

hippos. Why is she surprised? What
can hippos do in water?
Illustrated by Hector Borlasca

Grade 2 • Unit 2 • Week 1

4
 Hippos at the Zoo
Modeled Retelling
Val is happy. She has learned a lot about
hippos. She is eager to tell her class what she
has learned.

Guided Retelling
How does Val feel? What does she want to tell
her class?

ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
Beginning
Val wants to tell her class about
. How does she feel?

Intermediate
What did Val learn about hippos?
What will she do next?

Advanced
What has Val learned about hippos?
What do you think she will share
with her class?
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Illustrated by Hector Borlasca

Grade 2 • Unit 2 • Week 1