Adaptations are the unique physical and behavioral traits that have evolved in an animal over time to help it survive in its environments. Adaptation interactions are part of this natural system between predator and prey. Some fiction incorporates and understandings that truthfully represent the world. How do animals interact with the environment in to prolong their survival? How does a species’ adaptations give it an advantage in surviving in its environment? How can reading and writing fiction be useful for finding and sharing information about an animal’s life and adaptation? CONTENT: Science Writing Behavioral adaptations Expression Physical adaptations Organization Environmental contributions to adaptation Reading (Informational Text) Speaking & Listening Comprehension Exchange ideas Analysis Listen respectfully to another’s Main idea Build upon one another’s ideas Key ideas Supporting details SKILLS: Develop a narrative illustrating an imagined experience Incorporate facts gathered from multiple texts into a narrative Identify the main idea and supporting details Make inferences to better understand text Make text--‐to--‐text connections to build understanding of content Select relevant facts that exemplify understanding of animal adaptations Identify different animal adaptations Formative Assessments: 3-2-1 After Reading Activity Semantic Web Activity KWL Chart My Planning Process Graphic Organizer
Final Narrative Scoring Rubric 4 3 2 1 Content Analysis (level of understanding of how the animal is uniquely adapted to its environment) Successfully incorporates key details from the readings and makes it clear in the narrative that he/she has an understanding of how the animal is uniquely adapted its environment. Some difficulty in making clear how the key details selected show the animal’s adaptation to its environment. The key details only somewhat show the animal’s adaptation to its environment. Key details are missing and/or do not show any evidence of the animal’s adaptation to its environment. Plot and Characters (incorporation of character(s), plot/situation, dialogue, actions to demonstrate animal’s adaptive behavior and physical characteristics) Establishes a clear plot and introduces a main character that realistically describes its adaptive behavior and/or physical characteristics. Dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings of character show insight into the response of characters to situations that result from physical or behavioral adaptation. Establishes a plot and main character, but might struggle somewhat to realistically describe physical or behavioral adaptation. Dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings of character adequately show the response of character to situations that result from physical or behavioral adaptation. Struggles to establish a plot and/or characters that would allow for realistic descriptions of physical or behavioral adaptation. Dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings of character indirectly show the response of characters to situations that result from physical or behavioral adaptation. Does not establish a plot and/or characters that can provide descriptions of physical or behavioral adaptation Dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings of character do not show the response of characters to situations that result from physical or behavioral adaptation. Conventions of Writing Correctly uses temporal words and phrases to signal event order. Accurately uses conversational, general academic, and vocabulary. Mostly uses temporal words and phrases correctly to signal event order. Mostly uses conversational, general academic, and domain-specific vocabulary. Struggles with the use of temporal to signal event order. Struggles with accurate use of grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and vocabulary. Does not demonstrate an understanding of how to use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. Does not use conversational, general academic, or vocabulary. Conclusion Provides a clear sense of closure to the writing piece. Conclusion does not clearly provide closure to the writing piece. Attempts to bring a sense of closure to the piece, but struggles to create cohesion. Writing ends abruptly and lacks closure. Notes: