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Animals twice in one week - and this one is an ALLIGATOR! Author Swinburne is a man of many interests, and this interest is sporting a toothy grin. Fun to look at, but don't get too close... |
English/Language Arts
Explore Topic Sentences and Organization in Informative Texts
STEM
Explore the Scientific Method
Research Skills
Explore in-text citation
Explore Topic Sentences and Organization in Informative Texts
- This is a great Minute to use to show students how a topic sentence guides the discussion in each paragraph. Try giving students only the first sentence in each paragraph and having them guess what kinds of information will be shared. Or cut the paragraphs into sentences and see if students can identify the order of the sentences. Have them talk through their choices. Are they the same as the author’s?
STEM
Explore the Scientific Method
- Re-reading the second paragraph carefully, can students reconstruct how Dr. Daphne Soares may have used the scientific method? What might her question have been? What did she observe? What was here hypotheses? Does the Minute tell you how she might have tested that hypothesis and come to that conclusion? What does it say? What can you infer?
- Have students think about adaptations. What features do alligators have that have helped them survive as a species? What brought them to the brink of extinction? What brought them back? Using evidence from the past, can students predict the future of the species?
Research Skills
Explore in-text citation
- Have students look at the second paragraph and notice how the author has told his readers where he got his information. This is a great example for students in a copyright or plagiarism lesson.
- Kids love learning about animals, and this is a good Minute to use to introduce subscription resources. Generate some questions from the Minute, like what is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? Or How do animals make it on, or off, the endangered species list? Now have them take their questions and practice finding answers using subscription services. How many results are they getting? Which resources produce the best results? What are the best keywords to use to get to the answer quickly? How can you effectively search within an online article for answers? (Hint: CTRL+F)!
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
