Understanding the Animal Kingdom
ELA
Unit 4
3rd Grade
Lesson 23 of 23
These assessments accompany this unit to help gauge student understanding of key unit content and skills.
Content Assessment
The Content Assessment pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards. This assessment should take approximately one class period.
Cold Read Assessment
The Cold Read Assessment tests students' ability to comprehend a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer standards-based questions. The Cold Read Assessment can be given in addition to the Content Assessment as a pulse point for what students can read and analyze independently, a skill often required for standardized testing. This assessment should take approximately one class period.
Fluency Assessment
The Fluency Assessment allows teachers to monitor students' oral reading fluency progress with a reading passage drawn from one of the unit's core texts. The Fluency Assessment should be given at the end of a unit. Teachers should plan to pull students one-on-one to do this while the rest of the class is independently reading or writing. Find additional guidance for using this assessment and supporting reading fluency in Teacher Tools.
Lesson Map
Gather and organize information to explain how different arthropods can be alike in some ways and different in others.
Gather and organize facts about two different arthropods in order to explain how they are similar and how they are different in their features, habitats, and adaptations.
- Compare and Contrast Matrix 1 (G3, U4, L5)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix - Arthropod Sample Response (G3, U4, L5)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix - Mollusk Sample Response (G3, U4, L5)
Standards
RI.3.9W.3.2W.3.7W.3.8
Plan and draft an informational paragraph that compares two arthropods by explaining how they are similar and how they are different in their features, habitats, and adaptations, using facts gathered from research.
- Single Paragraph Outline
- Compare and Contrast Matrix 1 (G3, U4, L5)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix - Mollusk Sample Response (G3, U4, L5)
Standards
W.3.2W.3.2.aW.3.2.bW.3.4W.3.5
Revise an informational paragraph by replacing general or unclear words with specific facts and details that clearly compare two arthropods.
Standards
W.3.2W.3.2.bW.3.5
Gather and organize information to explain how different reptiles can be alike in some ways and different in others.
Gather and organize facts about two different reptiles in order to explain how they are similar and how they are different in their features, habitats, and adaptations.
- Mentor Text (G3, U4, L8)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix 2 (G3, U4, L8)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix - Reptile Sample Response (G3, U4, L8)
Standards
RI.3.9W.3.2W.3.7W.3.8
Plan and draft an informational paragraph that compares two reptiles by explaining how they are similar and how they are different in their features, habitats, and adaptations, using facts gathered from research.
- Single Paragraph Outline
- Single Paragraph Outline Sample Response (G3, U4, L8)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix 2 (G3, U4, L8)
- Compare and Contrast Matrix - Mammal Sample Response (G3, U4, L8)
Standards
W.3.2W.3.2.aW.3.2.bW.3.2.cW.3.2.dW.3.4W.3.5
Revise an informational paragraph by replacing general or unclear words with specific, relevant facts, and definitions.
- Compare and Contrast Matrix 2 (G3, U4, L8)
Standards
W.3.2W.3.2.bW.3.5
Describe the life cycle of an organism by using information from the text to support an idea.
Research one organism, gathering key details about each stage of its life cycle using an organized note-taking structure.
- Life Cycle Two Column Notes (G3, U4, L15)
- Life Cycle Two Column Notes Sample Response (G3, U4, L15)
- Life Cycle Diagram Sample Response (G3, U4, L15, D1)
- Life Cycle Diagrams (G3, U4) — Optional
Standards
W.3.7
Explain the stages of an organism's life cycle.
- Life Cycle Two Column Notes (G3, U4, L15) — Completed
Standards
W.3.2W.3.2.aW.3.2.bW.3.2.cW.3.2.dW.3.4
Revise an informational paragraph about an organism's life cycle based on peer feedback, choosing the most appropriate revision strategies to make writing clearer.
Standards
W.3.2W.3.4W.3.5
Design an animal and write an opinion paragraph explaining if it would survive in a particular environment, using evidence about characteristics, life cycles, and adaptations.
Brainstorm and plan an original animal design by describing its features, life cycle, and adaptations.
- Burrowing Fangtail Labeled Diagram (G3, U4, L21)
- Animal Planning Graphic Organizer (G3, U4, L21)
- Animal Planning Graphic Organizer Sample Response (G3, U4, L21)
Standards
W.3.1W.3.2.aW.3.4W.3.8
Draft an opinion paragraph explaining how a newly discovered animal survives in its chosen environment.
- Animal Planning Graphic Organizer (G3, U4, L21)
- Single Paragraph Reasons Planning Organizer (G3, U4, L21)
- Single Paragraph Reasons Planning Organizer Sample Response (G3, U4, L21)
Standards
SL.3.1W.3.1W.3.1.aW.3.1.bW.3.1.cW.3.1.dW.3.2.aW.3.4W.3.5
Revise an opinion paragraph by choosing the most appropriate revision strategies to make writing more convincing.
- Revision Strategy Menu (G3, U4, L21)
Standards
L.3.1L.3.1.gL.3.2W.3.1W.3.4W.3.5
Publish an opinion paragraph and a supporting labeled diagram.
- Burrowing Fangtail Labeled Diagram (G3, U4, L21)
Standards
SL.3.1W.3.1W.3.2.aW.3.4W.3.5
