(lighthearted music) - Hi scholars, and welcome to second grade on "Read, Write, Roar!"

Today we're going to focus on our big question, what might you see in a coral reef?

Today, we are going to read and write words with silent consonants K-N and W-R, and read a book about the coral reef so you can write a descriptive paragraph.

So get your paper and something to write with, and let's get ready to read, write, roar!

(playful music) (lion roaring) Oh my!

Hi.

I'm Mrs. Z-K, and I'm watching out for these ghosts!

Oh man!

Ooh.

Yeah, ghosts can be a little spooky, but don't worry.

These ones are pretty fun.

Yeah.

We're going to be working with words today that are gonna have what we're going to call ghost letters in them.

You heard me right, ghost letters.

Ooh.

(laughs) (gasps) What happens is, there are two letters together, one of 'em doesn't make a sound.

We call it a silent consonant, or a ghost letter.

Like in the pair, K-N.

The K is a silent consonant, or a ghost letter, and we only say the nnn sound.

That's right, we don't say the kuh sound at all.

We pretend like we don't even see it, and we don't say its sound.

We're also going to be working with the pair W-R, where the W is silent.

The W is a ghost letter.

We won't say the wuh sound.

We'll only say the rrr sound.

Mm-hmm.

(gasps) Here's ghost letter K now.

Woo.

Are you ready to try some words?

I'm sure you are.

Let's get started, scholars.

Here's our first one.

Woo.

(gasps) Ghost letter K. Right, and we pretend like we don't see it, we're not going to say the kuh sound, but we are going to say the nnn sound.

And then this O-W, it says oh.

So we have n, oh.

What word?

Know.

I know you know this word, know.

(laughs) See what I did there?

Yeah, yeah.

(gasps) Here's another one, ooh.

We have n, ah, buh.

What word?

Knob.

Yeah, like when you turn a door knob to get in?

Mm-hmm.

Knob.

(gasps) Here's another one.

Ooh.

We have n, ah, and that C-K is gonna make the kuh sound.

So we have n, ah, kuh, what word?

Knock.

(knuckles rapping) Who is it?

Ghost who?

Ghost letter K?

(laughs) Come on in!

Yeah, you don't have to be scared.

(bright music) (gasps) Ooh.

We have nnn, and then we have I-G-H. Yeah, that's three letters, but it's only going to make one sound, the long I sound.

So, we have nnn, I, t. What word?

Knight, and this knight has that K in it, the silent K, the ghost letter K, so it's not talking about nighttime, it's talking about the knights that wear all the metal armor and ride on horses and protect the castle.

Yeah, that kind of a knight.

(giggles) (gasps) Here's another one.

Ooh.

We have nnn, I something E, that the silent E that makes that I go long.

Yeah.

So we have nnn, I, fff.

What word?

Knife.

(gasps) I hope you don't use a knife on your own.

You ask an adult?

Good.

Knives are in the kitchen for adults to use to help cut things.

Mm-hmm.

(gasps) Here's another one.

(gasps) Ooh.

We have nnn, ih, t. What word?

Knit.

Sometimes people say grandmas will sit out and knit sweaters or blankets.

Yeah, it's when you have these two big tools, and you move them together with some yarn.

You can make all kinds of cool stuff.

You don't have to be a grandma to knit.

(gasps) Our last word.

Let's see.

We have nnn, and then we have double E. So it's gonna make the long E sound.

So we have nnn, E. What word?

Knee, yeah, it's like when you do a head, your shoulder, your knee, and then your toes.

(laughs) Yeah, a knee is just right there on your leg.

(gasps) But did you notice how all these words started with the nnn and not the kuh?

You're right, now you'll know when you see that K and N together, that K is gonna be a woo, a ghost letter, and you won't say the kuh sound, only the nnn sound.

(lighthearted music) Whoa!

Oh, it's ghost letter W!

(laughs) He's made a grand entrance all right.

Now we have words that have the ghost letter W in 'em.

If you notice, they're all at the beginning of the word, just like the K and the N, hmmm.

We're going to see this W, but we're not going to say the wuh sound.

We are going to say the rrr sound.

Are you ready to try these words out?

Let's give it a go, scholars.

(gasps) Ooh.

We have rr, (gasps) I something E. That's that silent E that makes the I go long.

So we have rrr, I, t. What word?

Write, yes, I had to write all these words down so that we could practice reading them.

You're going to get some practice, and you're going to be able to write some of these words in a minute.

Mm-hmm.

(gasps) Here's another one.

(gasps) Rrr, ih, sss, t. What word?

Wrist!

Show me your wrist.

Yeah, your wrist is right here.

It connects your arm and your hand.

Your wrist.

Sometimes you can wear bracelets on 'em.

Hmm.

(gasps) Here's another one, ooh.

Rrr, (gasps) again, that silent E that makes that O go a long oh.

So we have rrr, oh, t. What word?

Wrote.

And that's if you already write something, you wrote it.

Mm-hmm.

(gasps) Here we go.

Rrr, aw, nnn, guh.

What word?

Wrong.

Enh-enh, no, enh.

Say enh, wrong.

(laughs) It's the opposite of right.

(gasps) Ooh.

Rrr, a, puh.

What word?

Wrap.

(gasps) Yeah, if that W really wasn't there, that would be like a rap song, (gasps) but the W is there, so this is when you wrap something.

You could either wrap up, or you could wrap a present.

Mm-hmm.

That can get pretty tricky sometimes.

Gotta be pretty creative.

(gasps) Here's another one.

Rrr, eh, ck.

Yep, C-K, one sound, ck.

Rrr, eh, ck.

What word?

Wreck.

Uh-oh.

Hopefully your room isn't a wreck, because your adult might get upset.

Mm-hmm.

So, tidy up a bit.

A wreck is something like a mess.

It could be a synonym for a mess.

(gasps) Last ghost W word.

Ooh, it's a long one.

Rrr, ink, ull.

Rrr, ink, ull.

Wrinkle!

Oh!

Sometimes older people can have a wrinkle.

You can get a wrinkle too if you frown your face up enough.

Yeah.

Don't do that.

Then you'll get wrinkles early.

(laughs) Whoa, ghost letter W, you were so much fun.

We had no reason to be scared at all, did we?

No.

Well, you know what?

I promised you you would get a chance to practice writing some of these words with ghost letters.

Even though we don't hear the sound, we do have to write them in our word to make sure it's the right word.

Mm-hmm, because if we forget the ghost letter, you might get the eh-eh wrong word, and you don't want to do that.

So, let's practice.

Get that paper and pencil ready.

(upbeat music) (lion roaring) All right, scholars.

On your paper, I want you to make one line down the middle.

On one side, we're going to write K-N. Yep, the ghost letter K, the sound nnn.

And on the other side, I want us to write W-R. Yep, that's the ghost letter W, and it makes the sound rrrr.

Just the R sound, right?

Some words are going to pop up on your screen.

We're going to sound the word out, and then you're going to write it in the correct spot.

You can watch the screen to see how it's done.

I think you'll get the hang of it, 'cause all we're doing is sorting the words, whether they have the ghost K in it or the ghost W in it.

You ready, scholars?

Great, I love how brave you're being.

All right, here's our first word.

(knuckles rapping) Mmhm, no kuh sound.

Nnn, ah, ck.

What word?

Knock!

Where are you going to put the word knock?

Yes, on the silent K nnn side.

Nice work.

Here's our next word.

Ooh, remember, we're not gonna say the wuh sound.

Rrr, ih, st. Something you put your bracelet on.

Wrist.

Nice work.

What side are you going to write the word wrist on?

When you know, go ahead and write it.

Absolutely, on the W-R side, the rrr side!

Here's our next word.

Ooh.

Rrr, a, puh.

Oh, yes, wrap!

I love to wrap up in a blanket when it gets really chilly.

Wrap, what side are you writing the word wrap on?

On the W-R, the rrr side.

Here's our next word.

Oh, yeah, remember, don't say the kuh sound.

That's the ghost letter.

Nnn, ee.

Knee!

Yes, what side?

Yeah, the K-N side!

The nnn side!

Here's our next word.

What word?

Knob, you got it!

What side?

Absolutely.

The K-N side, the nnn side.

One more word for you, scholars.

What word is it?

Wreck!

What side are you writing wreck on?

W-R, the rrr side.

What an amazing job, scholars.

You were super brave.

Yeah, of course, because they're friendly ghosts.

Didn't we have a super time with them?

Yes, we figured out how to read these tricky words even though they have silent consonants, our ghost letters, in them, and you even practiced with writing some of them today.

I hope you continue to practice writing words that can be a little tricky for you.

That's how our brain grows.

(gentle music) - Hi, scholars, I'm Mrs. Ziegler.

Let's get ready to read the book, "What Do You Find in a Coral Reef?"

by Megan Kopp.

While listening, we will track details about the coral reef in order to help us write an informational paragraph.

We will keep track of our thinking using this graphic organizer.

The topic goes on top and the details go down below.

If you hear something interesting that describes the coral reef, plug your nose and raise your hand.

(upbeat music) (lion roaring) Have you ever been to a coral reef?

I haven't, and I can't wait to learn more so I can write a descriptive paragraph about a coral reef that might come in handy if I ever get to travel there someday.

Let's get ready to read.

"What Do You Find in a Coral Reef?"

by Megan Kopp.

"What is a Coral Reef?

Coral is a living animal.

All coral animals have soft bodies.

There are two types of coral.

One type of coral grows a hard shell over its body.

The other type of coral does not.

A group of coral with hard shells is called a colony.

New colonies grow on top of old ones.

This forms a coral reef.

Each new layer of coral makes the reef grow larger and larger.

A coral reef takes hundreds of years to form.

The Coral Reef Ecosystem.

Systems are made up of connected parts.

If one part is missing, it does not work well, or at all.

An ecosystem is a type of system made up of all the living and nonliving things found in one place.

An Underwater System.

A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem.

It includes living things such as plants and animals.

Living things grow and change.

Plants make new plants.

Animals have babies.

nonliving things are not alive.

They do not change or grow.

Water, rocks, and sunlight are some of the nonliving things found in a coral reef ecosystem.

Life on a Coral Reef.

Plants and animals need both nonliving and living things in order to survive, or stay alive.

Plants need sunlight, air, and water to grow.

Animals need water, air, food, and shelter to survive.

Plants and animals can only live in an ecosystem that gives them everything they need.

Working Together.

All of the living and nonliving things in a coral reef ecosystem work together.

Algae use sunlight to grow on the coral reef.

Sea urchins eat the algae.

By eating the algae, the sea urchins clean the coral and keep the algae from overtaking the reef.

This allows other animals to use the reef for food and shelter."

Wow, we have a lot of information.

The coral reef is such an incredible ecosystem.

Let's write down a few details to help us describe life there.

First, the topic, life on a coral reef.

What should we write in our first box down below?

Maybe something to do with how living and nonliving things work together.

You could write those words, or draw a picture to help you better understand, like the one in the book.

I'm going to write living and nonliving things work together.

Great job, let's read on to find more.

"Breathing Underwater.

All living things need air to live.

Air is a nonliving thing.

Most of the animals found on coral reefs spend their whole lives underwater.

They need to get their air from the water.

Taking in Air.

(inhales and exhales) Shrimp, crabs, and fish have special body parts called gills."

Do you remember where the gills are?

Yeah, right here.

"Gills allow them to breathe under the water.

Large animals, such as sea turtles, have lungs.

They cannot take air out of the water.

They need to come up to the surface to breathe."

Do you remember which animals use gills to breathe?

Go ahead and write them on your chart.

I remember crabs, fish, and sharks also, I know, have gills that help them breathe, and sea turtles and dolphins have lungs.

Okay.

Three more to go.

Let's keep reading.

"So Much Water, Everywhere!

All living things need fresh water to survive.

Fresh water does not have salt in it.

Coral reefs grow in oceans that contain salt water.

The plants and animals living in a coral reef ecosystem have ways of taking in the salt water and getting rid of the salt in it.

They are then able to use the water.

Taking it in.

Many coral reef animals drink the salt water.

Some animals, such as sharks and fish, take in water through their gills.

Other reef creatures get water from the foods they eat."

Let's go back to our chart and write a fact.

I think it's important to write something about salt water, so we know where the coral reefs can be found.

Let's write that down here.

Coral reefs are found in saltwater.

You could even draw an animal showing how they get rid of that salt to help you remember.

Let's keep reading.

"A Seafood Diet.

All living things need food to live and grow.

Food gives living things energy.

Plants make their own food using sunlight, air, and water.

Plants only grow on shallow reefs where sunlight can reach.

Time to Eat!

Animals can't make their own food.

Some animals eat plants for energy.

Butterflyfish nibble on sea grass.

Some animals eat other animals.

Eels eat small fish, such as the butterflyfish.

The movement of energy from one living thing to another in an ecosystem is called a..." Yes, food chain!

You remembered!

In our fourth box, let's write something about the food chain or that flow of energy.

I'm gonna write sea grass is important in the food chain, and I'll draw some sea grass.

Now, as we read the last few pages, keep your ears open for an interesting fact that you would like to include in your last box.

"Home Sweet Coral Reef.

One out of four animals found in the ocean live on a coral reef.

Coral reefs provide shelter for many animals.

Shelter is a place where animals can hide and stay safe from other animals that might want to eat them.

It is also a safe place to have babies.

A Safety Net.

The sea anemone is an animal that stays in one place on a coral reef.

It protects clownfish and their eggs by giving them shelter.

In return, clownfish eat the small animals that might hurt the sea anemone.

Protecting Coral Reefs.

Coral reefs are beautiful places to explore, but they are in trouble.

Coral reefs are sensitive to change.

Development along coastlines causes soil to wash into the water.

This makes the water dirty, and blocks sunlight.

Without sunlight, plants cannot grow.

What can we do?

When we visit a reef, we need to treat it with care.

Do not touch or step on corals.

We can also join groups working to protect reefs and the plants and animals that live there.

These groups help to make people aware of how change and pollution can damage reefs."

Let's go and write one more thing on our chart.

What are you gonna add to your chart?

I think I'm gonna write something about how we all need to work together to protect it.

Go ahead and fill in your last bubble.

Now, the next step is taking the information that we wrote about today to describe life in a coral reef and turn that into an informational paragraph to better understand what life there is all about.

Here's my informational paragraph.

As I read it, see if you can pick out the details that we included on our chart.

Life on a coral reef is busy and beautiful.

Living and nonliving things work together in this ocean ecosystem.

Many animals, like crabs, use gills to breathe.

Others, like dolphins, use lungs, like us.

If you ever visit a coral reef, don't touch it.

Do your part to protect the amazing coral reefs.

Thanks for joining me today.

Stay curious, keep reading, get outside and explore, and we'll see you on the next "Read, Write, Roar!"

- [Announcer] This program is made possible in part by Michigan Department of Education, the state of Michigan, and the Kresge Foundation.

Additional support for educational programming provided by... And by viewers like you.

(upbeat music) (gentle music)