RACCOONS:
NATURE'S LITTLE RASCALS

RACCOONS LESSON

Directions:

Print the Raccoons: Natures's Little Rascals reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions.  Teachers may use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt

Have you ever seen a raccoon?  With their tell-tale masks and ringed tails, they're very hard to miss.  Raccoons are very interesting creatures that live in many different areas of the world.  From their heads to their toes, they have unusual characteristics, or body parts, that help them stay alive wherever their habitat.

The raccoon's most distinct, or different, characteristics are its unique markings.  The raccoon's mask makes it recognizable almost anywhere.  Scientists think that the mask around the raccoon's eyes help it to look more scary to other animals or maybe to help it see at night.  The tail usually has between five and seven rings on it.  No one knows for sure why the raccoon's tail has rings.  The raccoon does use its tail to help it stay warm and it can store fat inside the tail to use during the winter when there is not as much food.

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