Doomed to Disappear? Endangered Species
Level R/40
Doomed to Disappear? Endangered Species Science
Teacher’s Guide Skills & Strategies
Anchor Comprehension Strategies
• Draw conclusions
Comprehension • Make inferences • U se graphic features to interpret information
Word Study/Vocabulary • Use knowledge of word structure to determine word meaning
Science Big Idea • Human activities and natural events can have profound effects on animal and plant populations.
Themes • Survival Instincts • Conservation and Preservation • Life Cycle and Animal Interdependence B
e n c h m a r k
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d u c a t i o n
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o m p a n y
Le sson at a G l a nce Before Reading (page 3) • Build Background • Introduce the Book • Administer Preassessment
During Reading (pages 4–10) Introduction–Chapter 1 (pages 4–6) •M odel Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Set a Purpose for Reading • Discuss the Reading • Model Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/Inflectional Endings
Sample Lesson Planning Guide Navigators Lesson Guides provide flexible options to meet a variety of instructional needs. Here is one way to structure this lesson.
Day 1
Build background knowledge: KWHL chart
Introduce/preview book: skim the book, ask questions
2
Model metacognitive strategy: make inferences
Model comprehension strategy: draw conclusions
Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning: base words/inflectional endings
3
Apply metacognitive strategy: make inferences
Guide comprehension strategy: draw conclusions
Use graphic features to interpret information: charts
4
Apply metacognitive strategy: make inferences
Apply comprehension strategy: draw conclusions
Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning: base words/inflectional endings
5
Complete KWHL chart
Chapters 2–3 (pages 7–8) •A pply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Set a Purpose for Reading • Discuss the Reading • Guide Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Charts
Activities
Chapters 4–5 (pages 9–10) •A pply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Set a Purpose for Reading • Discuss the Reading • Apply Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/ Inflectional Endings
After Reading (page 11) •A dminister Posttest • Synthesize Information: Complete KWHL chart
Writing Workshop (pages 12–13) •M odel the Writing Process: Write a Paragraph Including Clues/Evidence and Supporting Conclusions
Draw Conclusions (page 14) Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Meanings: Base Words/ Inflectional Endings (page 15)
Additional Related Resources Notable Trade Books for Read-Aloud • George, Jean Craighead. There’s an Owl in the Shower. Harpercollins Juvenile Books, 1995. • Pratt, Kristin Joy. A Walk in the Rainforest. Dawn Publications, 1992. • Skurzynski, Gloria, and Alane Ferguson. Over the Edge (Mysteries in Our National Parks). National Geographic, 2002.
Web Site for Content Information • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://endangered.fws.gov/kids/
Conclusions (page 16)
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Copyright © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-1112-7
Before Reading Build Background • Ask students this question: What do you know about endangered animals? Explain that they will fill out a KWHL chart to track their knowledge about this topic. • Draw a chart as shown. Write the headings on the chart. As students respond to your question, write their responses in the K column.
How Can What Have What Do What Do You You Know You Want You Learn about Learned about to Know Endangered about Endangered about Animals? Endangered Animals? Endangered Animals? Animals?
• Say: This chart will help us keep track of what we know and what we learn about endangered animals. You know that caring for endangered animals is a big problem today. We will learn just how big a problem it is and what is being done about it. We can write this information on the KWHL chart. • Ask: What would you like to learn about endangered animals? Write students’ responses on the chart in the W column. Say: Later, we will look back at this part of the chart to see if we have learned about the topics we listed. • Ask: How can we learn about the information we listed in the W column? Write students’ suggestions in the H column.
Introduce the Book • Give students a copy of the book. Have them skim through it. Ask: What will this book be about? How do you know? What pictures help you determine what the book will be about? • Explain that students will learn about endangered animals and how people are trying to save them from extinction.
Administer Preassessment • Have students take Ongoing Assessment #9 on page 54 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4). • Score assessments and use the results to determine instruction. • Keep group assessments in a small-group reading folder. For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.
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I nformal Assessment Tips
1. Assess students’ ability to skim the book.
2. Document informal
bservations in a folder o or notebook.
3. Keep the folder or notebook at the small-group reading table for handy reference.
4. For struggling students,
model how to skim by looking through the book while noticing chapters, subheadings, pictures, graphs, etc.
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During Reading: Introduction–Chapter 1 Content Information
Model Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences
Share information about wildlife biologist Peter Zahler, who is working hard to save many species from extinction.
Good readers make inferences while they read. Making inferences, or “reading between the lines,” keeps the reader engaged with the text and enhances understanding of what is read. Readers infer using quotes or
• In 1994, Zahler traveled to Pakistan to see if he could find an animal called the woolly flying squirrel. It had not been seen for almost seventy years. •N ot only did he find several of the squirrels, he has put a plan into place to protect their habitat and allow the population to grow. •H is plan was a success and the species was saved.
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Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity
1. Have students design a poster
showing an endangered animal. acan choose an animal from They the book or find another endangered animal on the Internet or in a reference book.
2. Provide students with poster
paper and colored pens. Ask them to draw and color their animals.
3. Have students write the reason
why the animal they have chosen is endangered at the bottom of the poster.
4. Hang the posters around the classroom.
pictures from books. They take specific sentences or ideas from a book and interpret, or infer, what might be happening. Good readers write their inferences in a journal or on self-stick notes.
• Use a real-life example of making inferences. Say: Good readers make inferences as they read. They use pictures or quotes from a book to understand what is not said directly. In other words, they “read between the lines.” The other day, I was reading about tourists in Vermont. The article said that fall is the best season for tourists in that state. There was a photo of a hillside covered with trees in shades of red and gold. I could infer from the photo that tourists come to see the fall leaf colors. The article quoted a state official. She said, “We call spring in Vermont Mud Season. We don’t have many tourists during the spring.” From the quote, I could infer that spring is very muddy in Vermont, and tourists don’t like dealing with the mud. The state official didn’t say that. I inferred it. You can make inferences, too. You can look at the information given in pictures and quotes and interpret it to understand the topic more fully. Today we’re going to make inferences about endangered animals. • Read It’s a Fact! on page 7 aloud to students. Ask them to think carefully about this quote: “Some otters returned to their original homes. Most just disappeared.” Say: This quote tells us that the otters didn’t stay in their new colony. We can infer that they were not happy there. The author didn’t say that. I had to “read between the lines.” The author did say that the otters didn’t stay in their new home. That clue supports our inference. We can’t tell exactly why they didn’t want to stay, but we know they went somewhere else. Pose these questions to yourself as you read to continue the modeling process:
What happened to the sea otters that were moved?
Why did they go away?
Should scientists try moving sea otters again? Why or why not? • Say: From my questions and the information I read, I can infer that the place where the sea otters were moved was not the right place for them. Maybe if the scientists moved them to a different place, they would stay.
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Set a Purpose for Reading • Ask students to read the introduction and pages 4–5 to themselves. Have them write down inferences about the importance of having different species in the world. They can use the pictures and text to make inferences. Remind them to “read between the lines.” • Have students read pages 6–7. Ask them to make inferences about the role of humans in the disappearance of sea otters. They can write their inferences in their journals. Tell them they will share their inferences after reading the chapter. Remind them to look at the pictures and text and to “read between the lines.”
Informal Assessment Tips
1. Watch students as they write their inferences on self-stick notes or in their journals or notebooks.
2. In a folder or notebook, jot down what you see each student doing.
3. Students should be noting
inferences as they read. Document students who are and are not using this metacognitive strategy.
Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share the inferences they have made. Have them point out the quotes from the text and the pictures on which they based their inferences.
4. If students are not writing
down inferences, remind them that making inferences will help them better understand the topics they are reading about.
• Remind students that there must be information in the text that will support their inferences. • Ask: What inference could you make about the effect of humans on the sea otter population? (Humans have endangered the sea otters.) How do you know that? (People hunted sea otters for the fur.) What can you infer about how to save the sea otters? (If humans change what they do, the sea otters will have a better chance at survival.) How do you know that? (The sea otter is listed as an endangered species; now more than 2,000 sea otters live off the California coast.)
Model Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Tell students that when they draw a conclusion, they take facts, or evidence, from the text and their own prior knowledge to come to a new understanding. Say: Today I got an e-mail from a friend of mine about another friend, Tom. It reported that Tom had been in a car accident two days ago. He had been late to work today because he had to take the bus. From this evidence, I can draw some conclusions. I can conclude that Tom wasn’t hurt because he went to work today, and I know that if someone is badly hurt in an accident, he probably wouldn’t go to work. I can also conclude that Tom’s car was damaged, since he had to take the bus. The e-mail didn’t tell me either of those things, but I can use the evidence it did tell me to draw those conclusions. • Pass out the graphic organizer Draw Conclusions (blackline master, page 14 of this guide).
Draw Conclusions Page Information Information I Number from the Text Already Know
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Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Conclusion Scientists want to save endangered species.
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15
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• Explain that as students read, they will complete the first four rows together. The last three rows will be completed independently. © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
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Chapter 1 (continued) Draw Conclusions Page Number
Information from the Text
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Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Scientists want to save endangered species.
The sea otter plays an important role in its ecosystem.
What happens to one species can affect other species.
What happens to the sea otter will have an important effect on other species.
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Information I Already Know
Conclusion
• Have students look at the book and follow along while you show them how to draw conclusions on page 3. Write the information on the graphic organizer. (You may want to make a chart-size copy of the graphic organizer or use a transparency.) Read pages 2–3 aloud and say: These pages tell us about endangered species. The book states that scientists work hard to identify which species are struggling to survive. You know that once a species is identified as being endangered, people work hard to save it. You can conclude that the scientists identify struggling species in order to help save them. • Read page 5. Say: The text tells me that sea otters play an important role in their ecosystem. I can write that in the column labeled Information from the Text. I already know that what happens to one species can affect other species. Species often depend on each other for survival. I can write that in the column labeled Information I Already Know. I can use these facts to draw a conclusion. I can conclude that what happens to sea otters will have an effect on other species around it. I’ll write that in the Conclusion column. Remember that my conclusion is not stated in the book.
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• Say: Now I know how species can be connected. We’ll continue the graphic organizer the next time we meet. • Ask: What are the two kinds of information we need to draw conclusions? (facts from the text and our own prior knowledge)
Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/Inflectional Endings • Have students find the word endangered on page 2. Point out that the word is in boldface type. This means it is in the glossary. Ask students how they might find the meaning of the word without looking it up in the glossary. Point out that endangered has a base word, endanger, and an inflectional ending, -ed. Explain that if they find the meaning of the base word, they can then determine the meaning of the word with the inflectional ending added. • Say: The word endanger is a verb. It means “to put into danger.” Adding the -ed ending makes the word into an adjective. The new word means “in danger of extinction.” • Point out the word threatened on page 3. Say: When I look at the word threatened, I can see that it has a base word and an inflectional ending. What is the base word? (threaten) What is the inflectional ending? (-ed) Have students determine the meaning of threaten (to make unsafe). Then ask them for the meaning of the word with the inflectional ending added (unsafe, could become endangered). • Tell students that they will practice this strategy again later in their reading.
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Chapters 2–3 Content Information
Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Have students look at the inferences they wrote yesterday. If students came up with different inferences, encourage them to discuss the quotes and pictures that inspired the inferences. Remind students that when they infer, they are “reading between the lines.” That means that the text gives them clues but does not state the information directly. • Say: Today we are going to make inferences based on facts— things we can see and observe—from the text. Draw a T-chart like the one below on the board.
Facts
Inferences
• Read pages 8–9 aloud to students. Say: These pages give us many facts about the passenger pigeon and humans. People cut down the pigeons’ habitat. They shot the pigeons for food and to protect crops. I can write these in the Facts column. • Now say: I can use these facts to make an inference about the pigeons and humans. If I were to infer that human beings hated the passenger pigeon, the facts in the text would not support my inference. However, if I were to infer that human actions led to the extinction of the passenger pigeon, the facts would support it. I can write that inference in the Inferences column. • Repeat the exercise with pages 10–11. Lead students to see that the facts about the Miss Waldron’s red colobus monkey and the caption below the picture on page 11 can lead them to infer that more species will probably become extinct in the rain forest.
Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students finish reading chapters 2 and 3 to learn about other endangered animals. Remind them to look for base words to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words. Tell them to copy the facts and inferences chart from the board and to write down facts and inferences as they read.
One of the saddest stories of extinction is that of the dodo bird. •T he dodo lived only on the island of Mauritius. • It was a very gentle creature with no natural enemies. •W hen humans came to the island, they found the bird easy to catch and good to eat. • Their dogs also hunted the birds. •W ithin a very few years, the dodo was completely gone from the earth.
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Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity
1. Have students work in groups
to make a chart listing the ways a can change their behavior humans to endanger fewer animals.
2. Have students recall the ways
that humans endanger animals. Then have them think about how people can change these behaviors to become less of a risk to animals. Students can write these on their charts.
3. Finally, ask them to write down
any ways they think people can act positively for animals, such as organizing groups to help animals, writing to people in government, and so on. Display lists in the classroom.
Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share their facts and inferences. Go over what they have written to ensure that the facts they chose support the inferences they made. • If any of the students’ inferences were not supported by facts, point out the problem to them. Remind them that an inference is an interpretation based on facts and information. • Ask students how people are helping to rescue endangered species from extinction. © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
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Chapters 2–3 (continued) Draw Conclusions Page Information Information I Number from the Text Already Know
Conclusion
Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Scientists want to save endangered species.
The sea otter plays an important role in its ecosystem.
What happens to one species can affect other species.
What happens to the sea otter will have an important effect on other species.
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People cut down the rain forest looking for diamonds.
Diamonds are very valuable.
The people cared more for money than for nature.
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Scientists took weak falcon eggs into the laboratory to hatch.
Lab experiments can be carefully controlled.
Scientists hoped to control the hatching of the eggs.
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Guide Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Review drawing conclusions by reviewing the graphic organizer. Explain that as a group you are going to revisit chapters 2 and 3 to draw conclusions. • Ask students to look at page 10 to find information on why the Miss Waldron’s red colobus monkey was endangered. Ask: Why did people come to cut down the rain forest? (They were trying to find diamonds.) What do you know about diamonds? (They are very valuable.) Write these facts in the first two columns of the organizer. Then ask: What can we conclude about the people who came to the rain forest and cut it down? (They were more concerned with money than with nature. They were greedy.) Write the conclusion on the organizer. • Follow the same procedure with page 15. Lead students to see that the text tells them that peregrine eggs were too weak to hatch, and that scientists tried to hatch them in the laboratory. Lead students to explain that lab experiments are carefully controlled. Then help them conclude that the scientists hoped to control the hatching of the eggs so they would hatch successfully.
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Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Charts
Informal Assessment Tips
1. Watch students as they help complete the Draw Conclusions chart.
• Remind students that a chart gives information in columns and rows. They should read the labels across the tops of the columns and then look for information in the rows below. Have them turn to the chart on pages 18 and 19. Ask: What are the four c ategories of information in the columns? (the kind of animal, its habitat, its threats, and its future) Have them look down the columns to find out information for each kind of animal listed.
2. In your folder, jot down what
you see the students doing as they complete the activity with you.
3. Ask yourself: Are students
having problems with this strategy? If so, what are the problems? Are students mastering this strategy? If so, how do I know?
4. For struggling students, review the strategy using the comprehension strategy poster. Use both sides of the poster if needed.
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Chapters 4–5 Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Have students look at their journals to review the inferences they made for chapters 2 and 3. Talk about the facts on which students based their inferences. Remind students that when they infer, they are “reading between the lines.” That means that the text gives them clues but does not state the information directly. • Say, Today we are going to make more inferences based on facts—things we can see and observe—from the text. Add to the T-chart they began the day before.
Facts
Inferences
• Read page 20 aloud to students. Say: The Florida scrub mint is a plant that could be very useful to people. It contains a natural insect repellent. These are facts that are stated in the text. I can write them in the column under Facts. • Now say: I can use these facts to make an inference about the Florida scrub mint. If I were to infer that human beings will try to save the Florida scrub mint, the facts would support it. I can write that inference in the Inferences column. • Repeat the exercise with page 24. Say: The text states that people often destroy rain forests because they don’t think about the future. Then it describes how people in the Central African Republic are working to save part of the rain forest. These facts can lead me to infer that the people in the Central African Republic think about the future. Write the facts and inference on the chart.
Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students read the rest of the book silently. Ask them to write at least one inference for each chapter in their journals. Point out the It’s a Fact feature on page 25. Have them write an inference about Katy Payne based on her journal entries.
Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share their inferences and the facts used as a basis for their inferences. • Ask: What inference can you make about what will happen if elephants don’t survive? (Other animals won’t survive, and the rain forest itself might not survive.) What facts did you base the inference on? (Elephants are a keystone species and are important to the survival of the rain forest.) What can you infer about the movement to save the environment in the 1960s and 1970s? (It was very strong in those decades.) What facts did you base the inference on? (Many laws were passed to help the environment in those decades.)
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Content Information Use this information about the Miami blue butterfly to remind students that although people tend to focus on larger animals that are endangered, there are some very small endangered animals, too. •T he Miami blue butterfly was once very common on the Florida coastline. Now there are only thirty to fifty of them left in the world. •A hurricane, a person with insect spray, or an overactive butterfly collector could easily wipe out the entire known population.
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Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity
1. Have students write from the
point of view of an endangered a Ask each student to animal. choose one endangered animal.
2. Have students think about the
animal they have chosen. What does it look like? Where does it live? How does it feel about being endangered? What does it think should be done to help it survive?
3. Ask students to write an open
letter to humanity from the animal they have chosen. The letter should give factual information about the animal. It should also explain how the animal feels and what the animal thinks should be done.
4. Students can read their letters aloud to the class.
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Chapters 4–5 (continued) Draw Conclusions Page Information Information I Number from the Text Already Know
Conclusion
Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Scientists want to save endangered species.
The sea otter plays an important role in its ecosystem.
What happens to one species can affect other species.
What happens to the sea otter will have an important effect on other species.
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People cut down the rain forest looking for diamonds.
Diamonds are very valuable.
The people cared more for money than for nature.
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Scientists took weak falcon eggs into the laboratory to hatch.
Lab experiments can be carefully controlled.
Scientists hoped to control the hatching of the eggs.
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The rain forest where the periwinkle grows is being cut down.
Cutting down the rain forest endangers its plant life.
The periwinkle may soon be endangered.
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Katy Payne tells people about elephants.
Knowing about an animal makes people more sympathetic to it.
Katy Payne’s work may help save elephants.
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People are helping to save endangered species.
Many species are still endangered.
There is much more work to be done to save endangered species.
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Informal Assessment Tips
1. Observe students as they
draw conclusions. Ask yourself: How have the students progressed with drawing conclusions? What problems are they still having? What questions pop into my mind about what I see them doing?
2.Watch students as they
c omplete the graphic organizer independently. Ask yourself: Who is still struggling with this strategy? What are they doing or not doing that makes me think they are struggling? How can I help them?
3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder or notebook.
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Apply Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Review the graphic organizer with students and explain that you want them to identify conclusions in chapters 4–5 independently. • Ask if they have questions about drawing conclusions before they begin. • Monitor their work and intervene if they are having difficulty. • Discuss students’ responses together. • For more practice, have students complete the blackline master Conclusions on page 16 of this guide. 1. 2. 3. 4.
What conclusion can you draw about the harpoon gun? A. It could only be used on small whales. B It made hunting blue whales easier. C. It had many different uses. D. It was only used in the 1800s. What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Hunting blue whales is illegal. B. It was invented in the 1800s. C. It was used on larger ships. D. Blue whales were hunted in huge numbers after its invention. What conclusion can you draw about people who hunt blue whales now? A They are breaking the law. B. They are very brave. C. They need the food the whale provides. D. They don’t know it is illegal. What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Blue whales are endangered by pollution. B Hunting blue whales is illegal. C. Blue whales are the largest animals on earth. D. There are only about 2,000 blue whales left.
Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/Inflectional Endings • Remind students that they can sometimes define an unfamiliar word by determining its base word. • Have students find the word repellent on page 20. Ask them to determine the base word (repel). Ask: What does repel mean? (to force away) Lead them to see that the inflectional ending changes the meaning to “something that forces away.” • For more practice, have students complete the blackline master on page 15 of this guide. communicate: to share information or feelings 1. communicating__________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ remain: still being or living 2. remaining_______________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ migrate: to move to a different area at a certain time of year 3. migrating_ ______________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ pollute: to make dirty 4. pollution________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________
Choose any underlined word from the passage. Define it in the space provided. ?????????????????? _______________________________________________________________________
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After Reading Administer Posttest • Have students take Ongoing Assessment #10 on page 56 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4).
1. Score assessments and
2. Keep group assessments in a
• Have students refer to the KWHL chart they prepared before reading the book. What Do You Want to Know about Endangered Animals?
etermine if more instruction d is needed for this strategy.
Synthesize Information: Complete KWHL Chart
hat Do You W Know about Endangered Animals?
I nformal Assessment Tips
How Can You Learn about Endangered Animals?
What Have You Learned about Endangered Animals?
• Remind students that the chart shows the facts they started out knowing. It shows some of the questions they wanted answered about endangered animals and some ideas about how to find the answers. Now they must determine what they actually learned by reading the book.
small-group reading folder.
3. Look closely at students’
responses. Ask yourself: Why might this student have answered the question in this manner? For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.
4. Use posttests to document
growth over time, for parent/ teacher conferences, or for your own records.
• Encourage students to look at each topic they wrote questions about and suggest information they learned from the book that complemented or extended what they already knew. • Have students look for topics about which they did not learn exactly what they wanted to find out. Ask volunteers to suggest where they might find the answers. If possible, take students to the library for a research session in which they locate answers to these and other questions they formed during their reading that have not yet been answered. Provide class time for students to share their findings.
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Writing Workshop
Model the Writing Process: Write a Paragraph with Clues/Evidence Supporting Conclusions
T eaching Tips: Process Writing Steps
• Remind students that as they read Doomed to Disappear? they drew conclusions that were supported by facts and evidence.
1. Have students independently write a first draft using the clues/ evidence supporting conclusions text structure.
• On chart paper or the board, create a chart like the one below showing clues and facts from the book that help you draw a conclusion about the relationship of bees and humans. • Use the writing model to show how the information from the chart can be used to write a paragraph of clues and evidence that supports conclusions.
2. After students complete their paragraphs, have them revise and edit with the help of a classroom buddy.
• Have students choose an animal to write a paragraph about. They should draw a conclusion about the relationship of the animal and humans based on the facts and clues they give in the paragraph.
3. Conference with each student following the first revision and editing.
• Provide class time for students to share their paragraphs. Discuss whether the clues and evidence each paragraph presents support the conclusion strongly.
4. Have students make any additional changes and create a final copy of their paragraphs.
5. Finally, invite students to share their paragraphs with a group of other students.
I nformal Assessment Tips
1. Observe students as they
articipate in the group p writing project. Identify those who might need additional assistance during the various stages of the writing process. Jot down notes in your journal.
2. During conferences, keep
notes on each student’s writing behaviors. Ask yourself: What evidence do I have to support the conclusion that this student is writing well or poorly? What can I do about it?
Clues/Evidence
Conclusions
Bees make honey, which people eat.
Bees are generally very useful to people.
Bees pollinate plants, which people grow.
Bees can be dangerous to people.
Bees sting people, sometimes causing allergic reactions.
3. For struggling students,
ractice writing sentences p containing clues and evidence. Then lead them to draw conclusions supported by the clues and evidence in the sentences. Finally, move to short paragraphs.
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Writing Model
A Honey of a Relationship Bees and people have a complicated relationship. Bees make honey. For a long time, honey was the main sweetener people used. Many people still raise bees to make honey. Bees also pollinate plants. Without bees, many kinds of plants would not grow. Some of these plants are very important to humans. However, bees do sting. Sometimes their sting can make people very sick. Still, it is clear that bees are very important to people.
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Name_________________________________________
Date___________________
Draw Conclusions Page Number
Information from the Text
Information I Already Know
Conclusion
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Name_________________________________________
Date___________________
Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Meanings: Base Words/Inflectional Endings Directions: Read the passage. Complete the exercise at the bottom of the page.
The Manatee The sea cow, or manatee, is a big, gentle ocean animal. It has two small front flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are capable of communicating with each other. They squeal loudly underwater to show fear or excitement. There are not many manatees left. The largest remaining population is in Florida, where 3,000 manatees live. They like warm water, migrating from colder water to Florida in the winter. Many manatees have scars on their backs. The scars are caused when boats hit the manatees. Manatees are also endangered by pollution. To save the manatee, we must clean up our water and be more careful with motorboats. In the space below, write each base word. Then define the base words.
1. communicating ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 2. remaining_________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 3. migrating_________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 4. pollution_ ________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Choose any underlined word from the passage. Define it in the space provided. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name_________________________________________
Date___________________
Conclusions Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
An Endangered Giant It is hard to imagine anything as large as a blue whale being endangered. After all, blue whales are the biggest animals on earth! They usually grow to be 70–80 feet long. The longest one measured was 106 feet. Blue whales can weigh up to 150 tons. That is 300,000 pounds. Whale hunting was popular in the United States in the 1800s. At first, blue whales were considered too big to hunt. Then ships got bigger, and the harpoon gun was invented. In the early 1900s, blue whales were hunted in huge numbers. By the 1960s, they were nearly extinct. Now, there are only 1,300 to 2,000 blue whales left. Hunting them is illegal. They still face dangers, though. They get tangled in fishing nets. They suffer from pollution. Some people still hunt them, too. Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. What conclusion can you draw about the harpoon gun? A. It could only be used on small whales. B. It made hunting blue whales easier. C. It had many different uses. D. It was only used in the 1800s. 2.
What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Hunting blue whales is illegal. B. It was invented in the 1800s. C. It was used on larger ships. D. Blue whales were hunted in huge numbers after its invention.
3.
What conclusion can you draw about people who hunt blue whales now? A. They are breaking the law. B. They are very brave. C. They need the food the whale provides. D. They don’t know it is illegal.
4.
What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Blue whales are endangered by pollution. B. Hunting blue whales is illegal. C. Blue whales are the largest animals on earth. D. There are only about 2,000 blue whales left.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Doomed to Disappear? Endangered Species Science
Teacher’s Guide Skills & Strategies
Anchor Comprehension Strategies
• Draw conclusions
Comprehension • Make inferences • U se graphic features to interpret information
Word Study/Vocabulary • Use knowledge of word structure to determine word meaning
Science Big Idea • Human activities and natural events can have profound effects on animal and plant populations.
Themes • Survival Instincts • Conservation and Preservation • Life Cycle and Animal Interdependence B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Le sson at a G l a nce Before Reading (page 3) • Build Background • Introduce the Book • Administer Preassessment
During Reading (pages 4–10) Introduction–Chapter 1 (pages 4–6) •M odel Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Set a Purpose for Reading • Discuss the Reading • Model Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/Inflectional Endings
Sample Lesson Planning Guide Navigators Lesson Guides provide flexible options to meet a variety of instructional needs. Here is one way to structure this lesson.
Day 1
Build background knowledge: KWHL chart
Introduce/preview book: skim the book, ask questions
2
Model metacognitive strategy: make inferences
Model comprehension strategy: draw conclusions
Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning: base words/inflectional endings
3
Apply metacognitive strategy: make inferences
Guide comprehension strategy: draw conclusions
Use graphic features to interpret information: charts
4
Apply metacognitive strategy: make inferences
Apply comprehension strategy: draw conclusions
Use knowledge of word structures to determine word meaning: base words/inflectional endings
5
Complete KWHL chart
Chapters 2–3 (pages 7–8) •A pply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Set a Purpose for Reading • Discuss the Reading • Guide Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Charts
Activities
Chapters 4–5 (pages 9–10) •A pply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Set a Purpose for Reading • Discuss the Reading • Apply Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/ Inflectional Endings
After Reading (page 11) •A dminister Posttest • Synthesize Information: Complete KWHL chart
Writing Workshop (pages 12–13) •M odel the Writing Process: Write a Paragraph Including Clues/Evidence and Supporting Conclusions
Draw Conclusions (page 14) Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Meanings: Base Words/ Inflectional Endings (page 15)
Additional Related Resources Notable Trade Books for Read-Aloud • George, Jean Craighead. There’s an Owl in the Shower. Harpercollins Juvenile Books, 1995. • Pratt, Kristin Joy. A Walk in the Rainforest. Dawn Publications, 1992. • Skurzynski, Gloria, and Alane Ferguson. Over the Edge (Mysteries in Our National Parks). National Geographic, 2002.
Web Site for Content Information • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://endangered.fws.gov/kids/
Conclusions (page 16)
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Copyright © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-1112-7
Before Reading Build Background • Ask students this question: What do you know about endangered animals? Explain that they will fill out a KWHL chart to track their knowledge about this topic. • Draw a chart as shown. Write the headings on the chart. As students respond to your question, write their responses in the K column.
How Can What Have What Do What Do You You Know You Want You Learn about Learned about to Know Endangered about Endangered about Animals? Endangered Animals? Endangered Animals? Animals?
• Say: This chart will help us keep track of what we know and what we learn about endangered animals. You know that caring for endangered animals is a big problem today. We will learn just how big a problem it is and what is being done about it. We can write this information on the KWHL chart. • Ask: What would you like to learn about endangered animals? Write students’ responses on the chart in the W column. Say: Later, we will look back at this part of the chart to see if we have learned about the topics we listed. • Ask: How can we learn about the information we listed in the W column? Write students’ suggestions in the H column.
Introduce the Book • Give students a copy of the book. Have them skim through it. Ask: What will this book be about? How do you know? What pictures help you determine what the book will be about? • Explain that students will learn about endangered animals and how people are trying to save them from extinction.
Administer Preassessment • Have students take Ongoing Assessment #9 on page 54 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4). • Score assessments and use the results to determine instruction. • Keep group assessments in a small-group reading folder. For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.
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I nformal Assessment Tips
1. Assess students’ ability to skim the book.
2. Document informal
bservations in a folder o or notebook.
3. Keep the folder or notebook at the small-group reading table for handy reference.
4. For struggling students,
model how to skim by looking through the book while noticing chapters, subheadings, pictures, graphs, etc.
3
During Reading: Introduction–Chapter 1 Content Information
Model Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences
Share information about wildlife biologist Peter Zahler, who is working hard to save many species from extinction.
Good readers make inferences while they read. Making inferences, or “reading between the lines,” keeps the reader engaged with the text and enhances understanding of what is read. Readers infer using quotes or
• In 1994, Zahler traveled to Pakistan to see if he could find an animal called the woolly flying squirrel. It had not been seen for almost seventy years. •N ot only did he find several of the squirrels, he has put a plan into place to protect their habitat and allow the population to grow. •H is plan was a success and the species was saved.
q
Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity
1. Have students design a poster
showing an endangered animal. acan choose an animal from They the book or find another endangered animal on the Internet or in a reference book.
2. Provide students with poster
paper and colored pens. Ask them to draw and color their animals.
3. Have students write the reason
why the animal they have chosen is endangered at the bottom of the poster.
4. Hang the posters around the classroom.
pictures from books. They take specific sentences or ideas from a book and interpret, or infer, what might be happening. Good readers write their inferences in a journal or on self-stick notes.
• Use a real-life example of making inferences. Say: Good readers make inferences as they read. They use pictures or quotes from a book to understand what is not said directly. In other words, they “read between the lines.” The other day, I was reading about tourists in Vermont. The article said that fall is the best season for tourists in that state. There was a photo of a hillside covered with trees in shades of red and gold. I could infer from the photo that tourists come to see the fall leaf colors. The article quoted a state official. She said, “We call spring in Vermont Mud Season. We don’t have many tourists during the spring.” From the quote, I could infer that spring is very muddy in Vermont, and tourists don’t like dealing with the mud. The state official didn’t say that. I inferred it. You can make inferences, too. You can look at the information given in pictures and quotes and interpret it to understand the topic more fully. Today we’re going to make inferences about endangered animals. • Read It’s a Fact! on page 7 aloud to students. Ask them to think carefully about this quote: “Some otters returned to their original homes. Most just disappeared.” Say: This quote tells us that the otters didn’t stay in their new colony. We can infer that they were not happy there. The author didn’t say that. I had to “read between the lines.” The author did say that the otters didn’t stay in their new home. That clue supports our inference. We can’t tell exactly why they didn’t want to stay, but we know they went somewhere else. Pose these questions to yourself as you read to continue the modeling process:
What happened to the sea otters that were moved?
Why did they go away?
Should scientists try moving sea otters again? Why or why not? • Say: From my questions and the information I read, I can infer that the place where the sea otters were moved was not the right place for them. Maybe if the scientists moved them to a different place, they would stay.
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Set a Purpose for Reading • Ask students to read the introduction and pages 4–5 to themselves. Have them write down inferences about the importance of having different species in the world. They can use the pictures and text to make inferences. Remind them to “read between the lines.” • Have students read pages 6–7. Ask them to make inferences about the role of humans in the disappearance of sea otters. They can write their inferences in their journals. Tell them they will share their inferences after reading the chapter. Remind them to look at the pictures and text and to “read between the lines.”
Informal Assessment Tips
1. Watch students as they write their inferences on self-stick notes or in their journals or notebooks.
2. In a folder or notebook, jot down what you see each student doing.
3. Students should be noting
inferences as they read. Document students who are and are not using this metacognitive strategy.
Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share the inferences they have made. Have them point out the quotes from the text and the pictures on which they based their inferences.
4. If students are not writing
down inferences, remind them that making inferences will help them better understand the topics they are reading about.
• Remind students that there must be information in the text that will support their inferences. • Ask: What inference could you make about the effect of humans on the sea otter population? (Humans have endangered the sea otters.) How do you know that? (People hunted sea otters for the fur.) What can you infer about how to save the sea otters? (If humans change what they do, the sea otters will have a better chance at survival.) How do you know that? (The sea otter is listed as an endangered species; now more than 2,000 sea otters live off the California coast.)
Model Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Tell students that when they draw a conclusion, they take facts, or evidence, from the text and their own prior knowledge to come to a new understanding. Say: Today I got an e-mail from a friend of mine about another friend, Tom. It reported that Tom had been in a car accident two days ago. He had been late to work today because he had to take the bus. From this evidence, I can draw some conclusions. I can conclude that Tom wasn’t hurt because he went to work today, and I know that if someone is badly hurt in an accident, he probably wouldn’t go to work. I can also conclude that Tom’s car was damaged, since he had to take the bus. The e-mail didn’t tell me either of those things, but I can use the evidence it did tell me to draw those conclusions. • Pass out the graphic organizer Draw Conclusions (blackline master, page 14 of this guide).
Draw Conclusions Page Information Information I Number from the Text Already Know
3
Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Conclusion Scientists want to save endangered species.
5
10
15
21
25
28
• Explain that as students read, they will complete the first four rows together. The last three rows will be completed independently. © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
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Chapter 1 (continued) Draw Conclusions Page Number
Information from the Text
3
Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Scientists want to save endangered species.
The sea otter plays an important role in its ecosystem.
What happens to one species can affect other species.
What happens to the sea otter will have an important effect on other species.
5
10
Information I Already Know
Conclusion
• Have students look at the book and follow along while you show them how to draw conclusions on page 3. Write the information on the graphic organizer. (You may want to make a chart-size copy of the graphic organizer or use a transparency.) Read pages 2–3 aloud and say: These pages tell us about endangered species. The book states that scientists work hard to identify which species are struggling to survive. You know that once a species is identified as being endangered, people work hard to save it. You can conclude that the scientists identify struggling species in order to help save them. • Read page 5. Say: The text tells me that sea otters play an important role in their ecosystem. I can write that in the column labeled Information from the Text. I already know that what happens to one species can affect other species. Species often depend on each other for survival. I can write that in the column labeled Information I Already Know. I can use these facts to draw a conclusion. I can conclude that what happens to sea otters will have an effect on other species around it. I’ll write that in the Conclusion column. Remember that my conclusion is not stated in the book.
15
21
25
28
• Say: Now I know how species can be connected. We’ll continue the graphic organizer the next time we meet. • Ask: What are the two kinds of information we need to draw conclusions? (facts from the text and our own prior knowledge)
Use Knowledge of Word Structures to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/Inflectional Endings • Have students find the word endangered on page 2. Point out that the word is in boldface type. This means it is in the glossary. Ask students how they might find the meaning of the word without looking it up in the glossary. Point out that endangered has a base word, endanger, and an inflectional ending, -ed. Explain that if they find the meaning of the base word, they can then determine the meaning of the word with the inflectional ending added. • Say: The word endanger is a verb. It means “to put into danger.” Adding the -ed ending makes the word into an adjective. The new word means “in danger of extinction.” • Point out the word threatened on page 3. Say: When I look at the word threatened, I can see that it has a base word and an inflectional ending. What is the base word? (threaten) What is the inflectional ending? (-ed) Have students determine the meaning of threaten (to make unsafe). Then ask them for the meaning of the word with the inflectional ending added (unsafe, could become endangered). • Tell students that they will practice this strategy again later in their reading.
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Chapters 2–3 Content Information
Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Have students look at the inferences they wrote yesterday. If students came up with different inferences, encourage them to discuss the quotes and pictures that inspired the inferences. Remind students that when they infer, they are “reading between the lines.” That means that the text gives them clues but does not state the information directly. • Say: Today we are going to make inferences based on facts— things we can see and observe—from the text. Draw a T-chart like the one below on the board.
Facts
Inferences
• Read pages 8–9 aloud to students. Say: These pages give us many facts about the passenger pigeon and humans. People cut down the pigeons’ habitat. They shot the pigeons for food and to protect crops. I can write these in the Facts column. • Now say: I can use these facts to make an inference about the pigeons and humans. If I were to infer that human beings hated the passenger pigeon, the facts in the text would not support my inference. However, if I were to infer that human actions led to the extinction of the passenger pigeon, the facts would support it. I can write that inference in the Inferences column. • Repeat the exercise with pages 10–11. Lead students to see that the facts about the Miss Waldron’s red colobus monkey and the caption below the picture on page 11 can lead them to infer that more species will probably become extinct in the rain forest.
Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students finish reading chapters 2 and 3 to learn about other endangered animals. Remind them to look for base words to figure out the meanings of unfamiliar words. Tell them to copy the facts and inferences chart from the board and to write down facts and inferences as they read.
One of the saddest stories of extinction is that of the dodo bird. •T he dodo lived only on the island of Mauritius. • It was a very gentle creature with no natural enemies. •W hen humans came to the island, they found the bird easy to catch and good to eat. • Their dogs also hunted the birds. •W ithin a very few years, the dodo was completely gone from the earth.
q
Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity
1. Have students work in groups
to make a chart listing the ways a can change their behavior humans to endanger fewer animals.
2. Have students recall the ways
that humans endanger animals. Then have them think about how people can change these behaviors to become less of a risk to animals. Students can write these on their charts.
3. Finally, ask them to write down
any ways they think people can act positively for animals, such as organizing groups to help animals, writing to people in government, and so on. Display lists in the classroom.
Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share their facts and inferences. Go over what they have written to ensure that the facts they chose support the inferences they made. • If any of the students’ inferences were not supported by facts, point out the problem to them. Remind them that an inference is an interpretation based on facts and information. • Ask students how people are helping to rescue endangered species from extinction. © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
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Chapters 2–3 (continued) Draw Conclusions Page Information Information I Number from the Text Already Know
Conclusion
Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Scientists want to save endangered species.
The sea otter plays an important role in its ecosystem.
What happens to one species can affect other species.
What happens to the sea otter will have an important effect on other species.
10
People cut down the rain forest looking for diamonds.
Diamonds are very valuable.
The people cared more for money than for nature.
15
Scientists took weak falcon eggs into the laboratory to hatch.
Lab experiments can be carefully controlled.
Scientists hoped to control the hatching of the eggs.
3
5
21
Guide Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Review drawing conclusions by reviewing the graphic organizer. Explain that as a group you are going to revisit chapters 2 and 3 to draw conclusions. • Ask students to look at page 10 to find information on why the Miss Waldron’s red colobus monkey was endangered. Ask: Why did people come to cut down the rain forest? (They were trying to find diamonds.) What do you know about diamonds? (They are very valuable.) Write these facts in the first two columns of the organizer. Then ask: What can we conclude about the people who came to the rain forest and cut it down? (They were more concerned with money than with nature. They were greedy.) Write the conclusion on the organizer. • Follow the same procedure with page 15. Lead students to see that the text tells them that peregrine eggs were too weak to hatch, and that scientists tried to hatch them in the laboratory. Lead students to explain that lab experiments are carefully controlled. Then help them conclude that the scientists hoped to control the hatching of the eggs so they would hatch successfully.
25
28
Use Graphic Features to Interpret Information: Charts
Informal Assessment Tips
1. Watch students as they help complete the Draw Conclusions chart.
• Remind students that a chart gives information in columns and rows. They should read the labels across the tops of the columns and then look for information in the rows below. Have them turn to the chart on pages 18 and 19. Ask: What are the four c ategories of information in the columns? (the kind of animal, its habitat, its threats, and its future) Have them look down the columns to find out information for each kind of animal listed.
2. In your folder, jot down what
you see the students doing as they complete the activity with you.
3. Ask yourself: Are students
having problems with this strategy? If so, what are the problems? Are students mastering this strategy? If so, how do I know?
4. For struggling students, review the strategy using the comprehension strategy poster. Use both sides of the poster if needed.
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Chapters 4–5 Apply Metacognitive Strategy: Make Inferences • Have students look at their journals to review the inferences they made for chapters 2 and 3. Talk about the facts on which students based their inferences. Remind students that when they infer, they are “reading between the lines.” That means that the text gives them clues but does not state the information directly. • Say, Today we are going to make more inferences based on facts—things we can see and observe—from the text. Add to the T-chart they began the day before.
Facts
Inferences
• Read page 20 aloud to students. Say: The Florida scrub mint is a plant that could be very useful to people. It contains a natural insect repellent. These are facts that are stated in the text. I can write them in the column under Facts. • Now say: I can use these facts to make an inference about the Florida scrub mint. If I were to infer that human beings will try to save the Florida scrub mint, the facts would support it. I can write that inference in the Inferences column. • Repeat the exercise with page 24. Say: The text states that people often destroy rain forests because they don’t think about the future. Then it describes how people in the Central African Republic are working to save part of the rain forest. These facts can lead me to infer that the people in the Central African Republic think about the future. Write the facts and inference on the chart.
Set a Purpose for Reading • Have students read the rest of the book silently. Ask them to write at least one inference for each chapter in their journals. Point out the It’s a Fact feature on page 25. Have them write an inference about Katy Payne based on her journal entries.
Discuss the Reading • Ask students to share their inferences and the facts used as a basis for their inferences. • Ask: What inference can you make about what will happen if elephants don’t survive? (Other animals won’t survive, and the rain forest itself might not survive.) What facts did you base the inference on? (Elephants are a keystone species and are important to the survival of the rain forest.) What can you infer about the movement to save the environment in the 1960s and 1970s? (It was very strong in those decades.) What facts did you base the inference on? (Many laws were passed to help the environment in those decades.)
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Content Information Use this information about the Miami blue butterfly to remind students that although people tend to focus on larger animals that are endangered, there are some very small endangered animals, too. •T he Miami blue butterfly was once very common on the Florida coastline. Now there are only thirty to fifty of them left in the world. •A hurricane, a person with insect spray, or an overactive butterfly collector could easily wipe out the entire known population.
q
Minds-On/ Hands-On Activity
1. Have students write from the
point of view of an endangered a Ask each student to animal. choose one endangered animal.
2. Have students think about the
animal they have chosen. What does it look like? Where does it live? How does it feel about being endangered? What does it think should be done to help it survive?
3. Ask students to write an open
letter to humanity from the animal they have chosen. The letter should give factual information about the animal. It should also explain how the animal feels and what the animal thinks should be done.
4. Students can read their letters aloud to the class.
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Chapters 4–5 (continued) Draw Conclusions Page Information Information I Number from the Text Already Know
Conclusion
Scientists work hard to identify struggling species.
When people know a species is endangered, they work to save it.
Scientists want to save endangered species.
The sea otter plays an important role in its ecosystem.
What happens to one species can affect other species.
What happens to the sea otter will have an important effect on other species.
10
People cut down the rain forest looking for diamonds.
Diamonds are very valuable.
The people cared more for money than for nature.
15
Scientists took weak falcon eggs into the laboratory to hatch.
Lab experiments can be carefully controlled.
Scientists hoped to control the hatching of the eggs.
21
The rain forest where the periwinkle grows is being cut down.
Cutting down the rain forest endangers its plant life.
The periwinkle may soon be endangered.
25
Katy Payne tells people about elephants.
Knowing about an animal makes people more sympathetic to it.
Katy Payne’s work may help save elephants.
28
People are helping to save endangered species.
Many species are still endangered.
There is much more work to be done to save endangered species.
3
5
Informal Assessment Tips
1. Observe students as they
draw conclusions. Ask yourself: How have the students progressed with drawing conclusions? What problems are they still having? What questions pop into my mind about what I see them doing?
2.Watch students as they
c omplete the graphic organizer independently. Ask yourself: Who is still struggling with this strategy? What are they doing or not doing that makes me think they are struggling? How can I help them?
3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder or notebook.
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Apply Comprehension Strategy: Draw Conclusions • Review the graphic organizer with students and explain that you want them to identify conclusions in chapters 4–5 independently. • Ask if they have questions about drawing conclusions before they begin. • Monitor their work and intervene if they are having difficulty. • Discuss students’ responses together. • For more practice, have students complete the blackline master Conclusions on page 16 of this guide. 1. 2. 3. 4.
What conclusion can you draw about the harpoon gun? A. It could only be used on small whales. B It made hunting blue whales easier. C. It had many different uses. D. It was only used in the 1800s. What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Hunting blue whales is illegal. B. It was invented in the 1800s. C. It was used on larger ships. D. Blue whales were hunted in huge numbers after its invention. What conclusion can you draw about people who hunt blue whales now? A They are breaking the law. B. They are very brave. C. They need the food the whale provides. D. They don’t know it is illegal. What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Blue whales are endangered by pollution. B Hunting blue whales is illegal. C. Blue whales are the largest animals on earth. D. There are only about 2,000 blue whales left.
Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Word Meaning: Base Words/Inflectional Endings • Remind students that they can sometimes define an unfamiliar word by determining its base word. • Have students find the word repellent on page 20. Ask them to determine the base word (repel). Ask: What does repel mean? (to force away) Lead them to see that the inflectional ending changes the meaning to “something that forces away.” • For more practice, have students complete the blackline master on page 15 of this guide. communicate: to share information or feelings 1. communicating__________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ remain: still being or living 2. remaining_______________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ migrate: to move to a different area at a certain time of year 3. migrating_ ______________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ pollute: to make dirty 4. pollution________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________
Choose any underlined word from the passage. Define it in the space provided. ?????????????????? _______________________________________________________________________
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After Reading Administer Posttest • Have students take Ongoing Assessment #10 on page 56 in the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 4).
1. Score assessments and
2. Keep group assessments in a
• Have students refer to the KWHL chart they prepared before reading the book. What Do You Want to Know about Endangered Animals?
etermine if more instruction d is needed for this strategy.
Synthesize Information: Complete KWHL Chart
hat Do You W Know about Endangered Animals?
I nformal Assessment Tips
How Can You Learn about Endangered Animals?
What Have You Learned about Endangered Animals?
• Remind students that the chart shows the facts they started out knowing. It shows some of the questions they wanted answered about endangered animals and some ideas about how to find the answers. Now they must determine what they actually learned by reading the book.
small-group reading folder.
3. Look closely at students’
responses. Ask yourself: Why might this student have answered the question in this manner? For in-depth analysis, discuss responses with individual students.
4. Use posttests to document
growth over time, for parent/ teacher conferences, or for your own records.
• Encourage students to look at each topic they wrote questions about and suggest information they learned from the book that complemented or extended what they already knew. • Have students look for topics about which they did not learn exactly what they wanted to find out. Ask volunteers to suggest where they might find the answers. If possible, take students to the library for a research session in which they locate answers to these and other questions they formed during their reading that have not yet been answered. Provide class time for students to share their findings.
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Writing Workshop
Model the Writing Process: Write a Paragraph with Clues/Evidence Supporting Conclusions
T eaching Tips: Process Writing Steps
• Remind students that as they read Doomed to Disappear? they drew conclusions that were supported by facts and evidence.
1. Have students independently write a first draft using the clues/ evidence supporting conclusions text structure.
• On chart paper or the board, create a chart like the one below showing clues and facts from the book that help you draw a conclusion about the relationship of bees and humans. • Use the writing model to show how the information from the chart can be used to write a paragraph of clues and evidence that supports conclusions.
2. After students complete their paragraphs, have them revise and edit with the help of a classroom buddy.
• Have students choose an animal to write a paragraph about. They should draw a conclusion about the relationship of the animal and humans based on the facts and clues they give in the paragraph.
3. Conference with each student following the first revision and editing.
• Provide class time for students to share their paragraphs. Discuss whether the clues and evidence each paragraph presents support the conclusion strongly.
4. Have students make any additional changes and create a final copy of their paragraphs.
5. Finally, invite students to share their paragraphs with a group of other students.
I nformal Assessment Tips
1. Observe students as they
articipate in the group p writing project. Identify those who might need additional assistance during the various stages of the writing process. Jot down notes in your journal.
2. During conferences, keep
notes on each student’s writing behaviors. Ask yourself: What evidence do I have to support the conclusion that this student is writing well or poorly? What can I do about it?
Clues/Evidence
Conclusions
Bees make honey, which people eat.
Bees are generally very useful to people.
Bees pollinate plants, which people grow.
Bees can be dangerous to people.
Bees sting people, sometimes causing allergic reactions.
3. For struggling students,
ractice writing sentences p containing clues and evidence. Then lead them to draw conclusions supported by the clues and evidence in the sentences. Finally, move to short paragraphs.
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Writing Model
A Honey of a Relationship Bees and people have a complicated relationship. Bees make honey. For a long time, honey was the main sweetener people used. Many people still raise bees to make honey. Bees also pollinate plants. Without bees, many kinds of plants would not grow. Some of these plants are very important to humans. However, bees do sting. Sometimes their sting can make people very sick. Still, it is clear that bees are very important to people.
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Name_________________________________________
Date___________________
Draw Conclusions Page Number
Information from the Text
Information I Already Know
Conclusion
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Name_________________________________________
Date___________________
Use Knowledge of Word Structure to Determine Meanings: Base Words/Inflectional Endings Directions: Read the passage. Complete the exercise at the bottom of the page.
The Manatee The sea cow, or manatee, is a big, gentle ocean animal. It has two small front flippers and a flat tail. Manatees are capable of communicating with each other. They squeal loudly underwater to show fear or excitement. There are not many manatees left. The largest remaining population is in Florida, where 3,000 manatees live. They like warm water, migrating from colder water to Florida in the winter. Many manatees have scars on their backs. The scars are caused when boats hit the manatees. Manatees are also endangered by pollution. To save the manatee, we must clean up our water and be more careful with motorboats. In the space below, write each base word. Then define the base words.
1. communicating ____________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 2. remaining_________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 3. migrating_________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 4. pollution_ ________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Choose any underlined word from the passage. Define it in the space provided. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ © 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
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Date___________________
Conclusions Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow.
An Endangered Giant It is hard to imagine anything as large as a blue whale being endangered. After all, blue whales are the biggest animals on earth! They usually grow to be 70–80 feet long. The longest one measured was 106 feet. Blue whales can weigh up to 150 tons. That is 300,000 pounds. Whale hunting was popular in the United States in the 1800s. At first, blue whales were considered too big to hunt. Then ships got bigger, and the harpoon gun was invented. In the early 1900s, blue whales were hunted in huge numbers. By the 1960s, they were nearly extinct. Now, there are only 1,300 to 2,000 blue whales left. Hunting them is illegal. They still face dangers, though. They get tangled in fishing nets. They suffer from pollution. Some people still hunt them, too. Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. What conclusion can you draw about the harpoon gun? A. It could only be used on small whales. B. It made hunting blue whales easier. C. It had many different uses. D. It was only used in the 1800s. 2.
What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Hunting blue whales is illegal. B. It was invented in the 1800s. C. It was used on larger ships. D. Blue whales were hunted in huge numbers after its invention.
3.
What conclusion can you draw about people who hunt blue whales now? A. They are breaking the law. B. They are very brave. C. They need the food the whale provides. D. They don’t know it is illegal.
4.
What evidence supports your conclusion? A. Blue whales are endangered by pollution. B. Hunting blue whales is illegal. C. Blue whales are the largest animals on earth. D. There are only about 2,000 blue whales left.
© 2011 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
