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Lesson Plan - Beating the Heat
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Learning Objective
Students will identify some ways that animals use physical adaptations to survive hot weather.
Text Structure
Description, Comparison
Content-Area Connections
Life Science
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1
NGSS: From Molecules to Organisms
TEKS: Science 3.10
1. Preparing to Read
Watch a Video: Amazing Adaptations
Discuss: What are some ways that adaptations help animals survive?
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify four ways animals have adapted to survive the heat.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. Why do you think the author chose the title “Beating the Heat” for this article? The author chose this title because the article is about how physical adaptations help some animals survive in hot habitats.
(RI.3.2 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE)
2. What is the connection between the main article and the sidebar, “How Can You Stay Cool?” The article describes different ways animals survive in hot weather. In the sidebar, the author shows how humans can imitate some animals’ adaptations.
(RI.3.5 TEXT FEATURES)
3. Which animal described in the article do you think has the most interesting adaptation? Support your choice with details from the text. Students’ responses will vary.
(RI.3.6 POINT OF VIEW)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Reading a Chart
Use the skill builder “Earth’s Hottest Spots” to have students compare the highest recorded temperatures for the seven continents.
(RI.3.5 USING TEXT FEATURES)
Multilingual Learners
Explain that “take a dip” is an expression thatmeans to go for a swim. The phrase “I’m all ears” (In the caption for the fox photo) means “I’m listening.”
Striving Readers
Explore the Presentation View of this article online, and use the Spotlight tool to focus students’ attention on one section of the text at a time.
Writing Extension
Have students write narratives about a time they “beat the heat.” Stories can be true personal narratives or fictional ones. Remind students to include sensory details that help paint a picture in readers’ minds.