Reading informational text
Name:_____________________________
Teacher:_____________________
Date:______________________________
Reading informational texts
Lesson Quick Codes for this set: LZ1852, LZ1853, LZ1854, LZ1855, LZ856, LZ857, LZ1857 Common Core State Standards addressed: RI.3.1, RI.3.10, RI.3.2, RI.3.7 Lesson Text: “Ever Wondered What Washington Was Like as a Kid?” by Moira E. McLaughlin Assessment Text: “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur” adapted from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/alligator.pdf)
Directions: Today you will be taking a short test using what you have learned about reading nonfiction texts. 1) (RI.3.7) Using the text features that you see in the article, “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur” write down what you predict this text will teach you.
2) Now read the article, “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur.” As you read, write down at least two questions that you have. You may want to start your questions with words like, “What…”, “Where…”, “Why…” “How…” “Who…” and “When…”
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
3) (RL.3.1) Read the section below from the article, “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur.” Ask yourself, “How has my thinking changed?” Then, complete the sentence “Before reading, I thought…, but after reading I learned…” An American alligator is not the same thing as a crocodile. The alligator has a wider snout and its teeth cannot be seen when its mouth is closed. Fully-grown alligators are black, but fully-grown crocodiles are brown. An alligator’s body is shaped kind of like an oval. A lot of its length comes from its tail. A male alligator can grow to be up to 14 feet long, with half of that length coming from its tail. However, most alligators do not get much bigger than six or seven feet long. Alligators have short legs for walking on land. They use their long, strong tails for getting through the water quickly. In fact alligators move faster in the water than they do on land. With eyes near the top of their heads, alligators can peek out of the water as they swim below the surface.
Before reading, I thought… But after reading, I learned…
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
4) (RI.3.2) Read the section below from the article, “The American Alligator, a Modern Day Dinosaur”. Underline the standout sentence or sentences. Then in the space below, write the main idea of the paragraph (Hint: you may want to begin your sentence with the words, “This part teaches me…”) Alligators live in wetlands. They play an important role in their habitat. By eating rodents and other small animals, they cut down on the number of animals that eat plants growing in the wetlands. Therefore, the plants can continue to live and grow.
5) (RI.3.10) Read the section from the article below. Then, sketch a quick picture of what you see in your mind as you read. Write one sentence to describe your picture. Adult alligators also create “gator holes.” To create a gator hole, an alligator clears out a lot of the plants and roots that grow in an area near the water. The alligator uses its body to create a dent in the ground. When it rains during wet months, the hole fills up with water. When the dry months come, the hole stays full of water and provides much needed water for fish, birds, turtles and other animals (including the alligators themselves!).
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
6) (RI.3.1) Why did the author write “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur”?
7) (RI.3.2) After reading “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur” answer the questions who, what, and where, to check your understanding of the article.
Who is this article mostly about?
What did this article teach you?
Where does this article take place?
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
Adapted by Stacey Zeigler from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-‐library/pdf/alligator.pdf
If you want to know what reptiles looked like 200 million years ago, check out the American alligator! The American alligator does not look much different than the reptiles that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. In fact, it is known today as a living fossil.
Alligators have short legs for walking on land. They use their long, strong tails for getting through the water quickly. In fact, alligators move faster in the water than they do on land. With eyes near the top of their heads, alligators can peek out of the water as they swim below the surface.
What Does an Alligator Look Like? What Does an Alligator Eat? An American alligator is Alligators sit at the top of the Where Can You Find the not the same thing as a food chain. They are American alligator? crocodile. The alligator has carnivores, or meat eaters. a wider snout and its teeth Alligators live in the southern Adult alligators will eat fish, United States. States such as cannot be seen when its turtles, rodents and other North Carolina, South Carolina, mouth is closed. Fully-‐ small animals. Younger Florida, Georgia, Alabama, grown alligators are black, alligators eat fish, insects Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas but fully-‐grown crocodiles and snails. Because of its are all home to these reptiles. are brown. An alligator’s dark color, an alligator can Alligators largely stay near body is shaped kind of like hide in the water. This water, so you will find them in an oval. A lot of its length makes it easier to catch its lakes, rivers, and ponds. comes from its tail. A male prey. Alligators do not eat alligator can grow to be up to 1 4 feet long, humans. They will not attack a human with half of that length coming from its unless they feel threatened. tail. However, most alligators do not get Alligator Habitats much bigger than six or seven feet long. Alligators live in wetlands. They play an
important role in their habitat. By eating rodents and other small animals, they cut down on the number of animals that eat plants growing in the wetlands. Therefore, the plants can continue to live and grow. Adult alligators also create “gator holes.” To create a gator hole, an alligator clears out a lot of the plants and roots that grow in an area near the water. The alligator uses its body to create a dent in the ground. When it rains during wet months, the hole fills up with water. When the dry months come, the hole stays full of water and provides much needed water for fish, birds, turtles and other animals (including the alligators themselves!). Alligators will even dig gator holes into the banks of ponds and lakes to create a hidden cave-‐like hole. This helps them survive long dry periods. Baby Alligators Alligators lay eggs. Most female alligators cannot lay eggs until they are at least eight-‐years-‐old. A female alligator builds a large nest to hold her eggs. The nest contains sticks, leaves, and mud. The nest is created on land, but close to the water so she can guard it easily. A normal
alligator lays between 20 and 50 eggs. She covers them with leaves to help keep them warm. Eggs spend 65 days in the nest before they begin to hatch. During this time, the mother protects the precious eggs from other animals who may try to eat them. When the eggs hatch, the female alligator digs them out of the nest. The babies know to go straight into the water. The baby alligators have yellow bands around their bodies for the first few days. They also make a high-‐ pitched croaking noise. Protecting the Alligators Most alligators can live up to 30 years, but not all of them make it that long. American alligators used to be an the endangered species because people liked to hunt them for their skin. Humans also and destroyed their habitats. When an animal is endangered, it means that there are very few of its kind left. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created a program to help protect the alligators. People who were caught hunting them could be punished. By 1987, the alligators had made a comeback. Today, they are no long considered endangered. However, alligators are still protected and can only be hunted with a special license.
Glossary Carnivore
This type of animal only eats meat.
Fossil
The remains of a historic plant or animal that are usually encased in rock. Scientists study fossils to learn about the past.
Habitat
The natural location, or place, where an animal lives.
Prey
The animals or food that something hunts and eats to survive.
Snout
Like a nose, it includes an animal’s jaw and part of the face.
Wetlands
A type of animal habitat that is similar to a swamp and includes lots of water and small patches of very wet land.
Teacher:_____________________
Date:______________________________
Reading informational texts
Lesson Quick Codes for this set: LZ1852, LZ1853, LZ1854, LZ1855, LZ856, LZ857, LZ1857 Common Core State Standards addressed: RI.3.1, RI.3.10, RI.3.2, RI.3.7 Lesson Text: “Ever Wondered What Washington Was Like as a Kid?” by Moira E. McLaughlin Assessment Text: “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur” adapted from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/alligator.pdf)
Directions: Today you will be taking a short test using what you have learned about reading nonfiction texts. 1) (RI.3.7) Using the text features that you see in the article, “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur” write down what you predict this text will teach you.
2) Now read the article, “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur.” As you read, write down at least two questions that you have. You may want to start your questions with words like, “What…”, “Where…”, “Why…” “How…” “Who…” and “When…”
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
3) (RL.3.1) Read the section below from the article, “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur.” Ask yourself, “How has my thinking changed?” Then, complete the sentence “Before reading, I thought…, but after reading I learned…” An American alligator is not the same thing as a crocodile. The alligator has a wider snout and its teeth cannot be seen when its mouth is closed. Fully-grown alligators are black, but fully-grown crocodiles are brown. An alligator’s body is shaped kind of like an oval. A lot of its length comes from its tail. A male alligator can grow to be up to 14 feet long, with half of that length coming from its tail. However, most alligators do not get much bigger than six or seven feet long. Alligators have short legs for walking on land. They use their long, strong tails for getting through the water quickly. In fact alligators move faster in the water than they do on land. With eyes near the top of their heads, alligators can peek out of the water as they swim below the surface.
Before reading, I thought… But after reading, I learned…
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
4) (RI.3.2) Read the section below from the article, “The American Alligator, a Modern Day Dinosaur”. Underline the standout sentence or sentences. Then in the space below, write the main idea of the paragraph (Hint: you may want to begin your sentence with the words, “This part teaches me…”) Alligators live in wetlands. They play an important role in their habitat. By eating rodents and other small animals, they cut down on the number of animals that eat plants growing in the wetlands. Therefore, the plants can continue to live and grow.
5) (RI.3.10) Read the section from the article below. Then, sketch a quick picture of what you see in your mind as you read. Write one sentence to describe your picture. Adult alligators also create “gator holes.” To create a gator hole, an alligator clears out a lot of the plants and roots that grow in an area near the water. The alligator uses its body to create a dent in the ground. When it rains during wet months, the hole fills up with water. When the dry months come, the hole stays full of water and provides much needed water for fish, birds, turtles and other animals (including the alligators themselves!).
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
6) (RI.3.1) Why did the author write “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur”?
7) (RI.3.2) After reading “The American Alligator, A Modern Day Dinosaur” answer the questions who, what, and where, to check your understanding of the article.
Who is this article mostly about?
What did this article teach you?
Where does this article take place?
©LearnZillion, Inc., 2012
Adapted by Stacey Zeigler from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-‐library/pdf/alligator.pdf
If you want to know what reptiles looked like 200 million years ago, check out the American alligator! The American alligator does not look much different than the reptiles that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. In fact, it is known today as a living fossil.
Alligators have short legs for walking on land. They use their long, strong tails for getting through the water quickly. In fact, alligators move faster in the water than they do on land. With eyes near the top of their heads, alligators can peek out of the water as they swim below the surface.
What Does an Alligator Look Like? What Does an Alligator Eat? An American alligator is Alligators sit at the top of the Where Can You Find the not the same thing as a food chain. They are American alligator? crocodile. The alligator has carnivores, or meat eaters. a wider snout and its teeth Alligators live in the southern Adult alligators will eat fish, United States. States such as cannot be seen when its turtles, rodents and other North Carolina, South Carolina, mouth is closed. Fully-‐ small animals. Younger Florida, Georgia, Alabama, grown alligators are black, alligators eat fish, insects Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas but fully-‐grown crocodiles and snails. Because of its are all home to these reptiles. are brown. An alligator’s dark color, an alligator can Alligators largely stay near body is shaped kind of like hide in the water. This water, so you will find them in an oval. A lot of its length makes it easier to catch its lakes, rivers, and ponds. comes from its tail. A male prey. Alligators do not eat alligator can grow to be up to 1 4 feet long, humans. They will not attack a human with half of that length coming from its unless they feel threatened. tail. However, most alligators do not get Alligator Habitats much bigger than six or seven feet long. Alligators live in wetlands. They play an
important role in their habitat. By eating rodents and other small animals, they cut down on the number of animals that eat plants growing in the wetlands. Therefore, the plants can continue to live and grow. Adult alligators also create “gator holes.” To create a gator hole, an alligator clears out a lot of the plants and roots that grow in an area near the water. The alligator uses its body to create a dent in the ground. When it rains during wet months, the hole fills up with water. When the dry months come, the hole stays full of water and provides much needed water for fish, birds, turtles and other animals (including the alligators themselves!). Alligators will even dig gator holes into the banks of ponds and lakes to create a hidden cave-‐like hole. This helps them survive long dry periods. Baby Alligators Alligators lay eggs. Most female alligators cannot lay eggs until they are at least eight-‐years-‐old. A female alligator builds a large nest to hold her eggs. The nest contains sticks, leaves, and mud. The nest is created on land, but close to the water so she can guard it easily. A normal
alligator lays between 20 and 50 eggs. She covers them with leaves to help keep them warm. Eggs spend 65 days in the nest before they begin to hatch. During this time, the mother protects the precious eggs from other animals who may try to eat them. When the eggs hatch, the female alligator digs them out of the nest. The babies know to go straight into the water. The baby alligators have yellow bands around their bodies for the first few days. They also make a high-‐ pitched croaking noise. Protecting the Alligators Most alligators can live up to 30 years, but not all of them make it that long. American alligators used to be an the endangered species because people liked to hunt them for their skin. Humans also and destroyed their habitats. When an animal is endangered, it means that there are very few of its kind left. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service created a program to help protect the alligators. People who were caught hunting them could be punished. By 1987, the alligators had made a comeback. Today, they are no long considered endangered. However, alligators are still protected and can only be hunted with a special license.
Glossary Carnivore
This type of animal only eats meat.
Fossil
The remains of a historic plant or animal that are usually encased in rock. Scientists study fossils to learn about the past.
Habitat
The natural location, or place, where an animal lives.
Prey
The animals or food that something hunts and eats to survive.
Snout
Like a nose, it includes an animal’s jaw and part of the face.
Wetlands
A type of animal habitat that is similar to a swamp and includes lots of water and small patches of very wet land.
