Nesting Mothers Open Response

This passage describes how squirrels reproduce and raise their young. It explains how male squirrels compete for mates, and how mothers care for their babies-called kits-until they become independent. Readers learn about gestation, nesting habits, and how squirrel kits grow. The passage ends by showing how strong parenting helps squirrel populations thrive.

Students strengthen sequence comprehension and life-cycle understanding. Vocabulary like gestation, litter, and offspring builds biological literacy. The text reinforces cause-and-effect reasoning-how nurturing leads to species survival. Such readings encourage students to connect animal life to environmental cycles.