Classroom Resource

Meet Some Desert Animals

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Science

Grade(s)

1

Overview

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to introduce students to ways that animals use external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs in their environment. This could serve as a precursor to students designing their own survival solution using materials to imitate how animals have solved similar problems. 

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.22

Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.22

Vocabulary

  • Ask
  • Answer
  • Questions
  • Key details
  • Literary texts
  • Informational texts

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Key details are present in literary and informational text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Ask questions about key details in a literary and informational text.
  • Answer questions about key details in a literary and informational text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary and informational text include key details that must be understood to comprehend the text.
  • After reading a text, knowledge and understanding can be expanded by asking and answering questions.
Science (2015) Grade(s): 1

SC15.1.5

Design a solution to a human problem by using materials to imitate how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs (e.g., outerwear imitating animal furs for insulation, gear mimicking tree bark or shells for protection).

Unpacked Content

UP:SC15.1.5

Vocabulary

  • materials
  • design
  • solution
  • human problem
  • imitate
  • external parts
  • survive
  • needs
  • insulation
  • mimicry
  • camouflage
  • protection
  • ask
  • plan
  • imagine
  • create
  • improve

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How plants use their external parts to survive, grow and meet their needs.
  • How animals use their external parts to survive, grow and meet their needs.
  • People can imitate how plants and animals survive and grow to help us solve a human problem.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Design a device that attempts to solve a human problem.
  • Use materials to imitate external structures of plants and animals.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The shape and stability of structures of natural and designed objects are related to their function.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Crosscutting Concepts

Structure and Function
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.22

Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.1.22

Vocabulary

  • Ask
  • Answer
  • Questions
  • Key details
  • Literary texts
  • Informational texts

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Key details are present in literary and informational text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Ask questions about key details in a literary and informational text.
  • Answer questions about key details in a literary and informational text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary and informational text include key details that must be understood to comprehend the text.
  • After reading a text, knowledge and understanding can be expanded by asking and answering questions.
Link to Resource
https://www.readworks.org/article/Meet-Some-Desert-Animals/0b04d7e5-b7ea-4bec-8…

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

ReadWorks.org
Accessibility

Accessibility

Audio resources: includes a transcript or subtitles
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

https://about.readworks.org/terms-of-use.html

Comments or Notes

ReadWorks is a website that provides K-12 teachers with free literacy resources (About ReadWorks). ReadWorks has literary and informational texts on a variety of subjects and reading skills. You may narrow your search using grade level or Lexile level, making this website a wonderful tool for differentiation. Students will complete their work digitally, and you will provide their score and feedback digitally. This makes it easy to go paperless for this activity.

Prior to implementing this activity, you will need to sign up for an Educator Account on ReadWorks. After setting up an account, create a class from the Class Admin tab, this will provide you with a Class Code to give to students. Next, use the Find Content tab to search for the informational article that will be used during this activity, "Meet Some Desert Animals." After navigating to the article, click on the blue Assign button to assign it to your class.

Each student will need access to a digital device, such as a tablet or laptop. The first time students enter the website they will need to enter the Class Code that is listed on your Class Admin page. Alternatively, you can print the article and corresponding questions for students, if digital devices are not available. The teacher could also complete this activity by projecting the article and questions for the whole class to view.

Approved Date

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