Camouflage Journey Open Response

This passage explains the life cycle of a stick insect and shows students how these remarkable insects grow from tiny eggs into masters of disguise. Readers learn that stick insects begin life inside seed-like eggs that are often hidden among leaves and soil. The text describes how young nymphs hatch looking like miniature adults and gradually grow through a series of molts. Students discover that each molt allows the stick insect to become larger and better adapted to its environment. The passage highlights how every stage of the life cycle helps the insect develop the camouflage and survival skills it will need as an adult.

Reading passages about life cycles helps students strengthen sequencing and comprehension skills because they must follow stages in the correct order. Students expand their scientific vocabulary through words such as *nymph*, *molt*, and *life cycle*. Informational texts also improve students’ ability to summarize processes and explain changes clearly using evidence from the text. These experiences build reading fluency, organization, and confidence while encouraging curiosity about science and nature.