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Skunks. Are they cute and cuddly or a reason to run? Larry Pringle gets us thinking about exactly who these unusual creatures are - and why we might want to think about the value of nonverbal warning sign in nature! |
English/Language Arts
Explore lead sentences - questions
Add this to your list of Minutes with a question lead. See how Author Pringle gets you thinking about the skunk’s behavior before you even start? Clever. Have your students dive into their Writer’s Notebooks and pull a past informational piece. Can they start with a question? Have them write several and then discuss with a writing partner to choose the best one.
Explore word choice - vivid verbs
Author Pringle doesn’t let his skunks simply walk along - nope. They “amble” in true skunk fashion. Challenge your students to come up with as many synonyms for walk as possible in two minutes. Have a good list? Now find a noun that would [walk] this way!
Explore close reading
Multiple behaviors are described as warnings in this Minute. Have your students give this Minute multiple reads to tease out all of the warning signs the skunk delivers. Use Think-Pair-Share to see if students reach consensus on the total number of warning signs.
STEM
Explore biology - adaptations
Use this Minute to explore how animals adapt in nature. Author Pringle mentions skunks in addition to badgers. What other animals sport similar adaptations in their coloring? Could musk also be considered an adaptation? Check your library for some of Laurence Pringle’s other titles to check for possibilities - there are lots to choose from!
Explore biology - prey & predators
Use this Minute to introduce the idea of nature’s food chain, and the role of animals in nature as both prey and predator. Read the Minute closely to discover who the skunk fears as a predator, and who should fear the skunk as a predator? Have students follow the food chain up and down, starting with the skunk.
Research Skills
Explore methods of communicating findings
There are many ways to approach this Minute, whether you are close reading for warning signs (see ELA) or exploring prey and predators as part of the food chain (STEM). Instead of handing your student a graphic organizer for collecting information, consider sending them on a hunt through the images for graphic organizers on their favorite search engine and choosing one (or using one for inspiration) that works best with the kind of information your students want to share with their classmates. Have them explain why they chose to communicate their information with whatever vehicle they select.
Explore lead sentences - questions
Add this to your list of Minutes with a question lead. See how Author Pringle gets you thinking about the skunk’s behavior before you even start? Clever. Have your students dive into their Writer’s Notebooks and pull a past informational piece. Can they start with a question? Have them write several and then discuss with a writing partner to choose the best one.
Explore word choice - vivid verbs
Author Pringle doesn’t let his skunks simply walk along - nope. They “amble” in true skunk fashion. Challenge your students to come up with as many synonyms for walk as possible in two minutes. Have a good list? Now find a noun that would [walk] this way!
Explore close reading
Multiple behaviors are described as warnings in this Minute. Have your students give this Minute multiple reads to tease out all of the warning signs the skunk delivers. Use Think-Pair-Share to see if students reach consensus on the total number of warning signs.
STEM
Explore biology - adaptations
Use this Minute to explore how animals adapt in nature. Author Pringle mentions skunks in addition to badgers. What other animals sport similar adaptations in their coloring? Could musk also be considered an adaptation? Check your library for some of Laurence Pringle’s other titles to check for possibilities - there are lots to choose from!
Explore biology - prey & predators
Use this Minute to introduce the idea of nature’s food chain, and the role of animals in nature as both prey and predator. Read the Minute closely to discover who the skunk fears as a predator, and who should fear the skunk as a predator? Have students follow the food chain up and down, starting with the skunk.
Research Skills
Explore methods of communicating findings
There are many ways to approach this Minute, whether you are close reading for warning signs (see ELA) or exploring prey and predators as part of the food chain (STEM). Instead of handing your student a graphic organizer for collecting information, consider sending them on a hunt through the images for graphic organizers on their favorite search engine and choosing one (or using one for inspiration) that works best with the kind of information your students want to share with their classmates. Have them explain why they chose to communicate their information with whatever vehicle they select.
© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission
