Lesson Plan - The Race to Save Rhinos

Watch a Video
Watch the video “All About Rhinos” to build background knowledge before reading the article. Ask: How do rhinos use their horns in the wild? Why do some poachers kill rhinos for their horns?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• sanctuary
• poaching
• veterinarians

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify why the births of Indra and Anggi are important.

1. Based on the article, what is poaching? What clues in the text help you figure it out?
Based on the article, you know that poaching is illegal hunting. One important clue in the text is the phrase “hunters shoot the animals and saw off their horns.”
^{(RI.3.4 Vocabulary)}

2. Based on what you’ve read, why do you think the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary has armed guards?
You can infer from the article that the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary has armed guards because poachers may still want to hunt the animals. The article states that the guards “protect the animals around the clock.”
^{(RI.3.1 Text Evidence)}

3. What is the purpose of the map on page 3?
The purpose of the map is to show Sumatran rhinos’ former range, which extended across several countries in Southeast Asia, and their current range, just two islands in Indonesia.
^{(RI.3.7 Text Features)}

FEATURED SKILL: Reading a Timeline
Use the skill builder “What’s the Problem?” to explore the article’s problem/solution text structure.
^{(RI.3.8 Text Structure)}