Watch a Video: Amazing Adaptations
Discuss: What are some ways that adaptations help animals survive?
Students will identify some ways that animals use physical adaptations to survive hot weather.
Lesson Plan - Beating the Heat
Learning Objective
Text Structure
Description, Comparison
Content-Area Connections
Life Science
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1
NGSS: From Molecules to Organisms
TEKS: Science 3.10
1. Preparing to Read
Amazing Adaptations
Watch a video to learn more about the ways animals adapt to survive.
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
- physical adaptations
- moisture
- pores
Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify four ways animals have adapted to survive the heat.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. Why do you think the author chose the title “Beating the Heat” for this article? The author chose this title because the article is about how physical adaptations help some animals survive in hot habitats.
(RI.3.2 AUTHOR’S PURPOSE)
2. What is the connection between the main article and the sidebar, “How Can You Stay Cool?” The article describes different ways animals survive in hot weather. In the sidebar, the author shows how humans can imitate some animals’ adaptations.
(RI.3.5 TEXT FEATURES)
3. Which animal described in the article do you think has the most interesting adaptation? Support your choice with details from the text. Students’ responses will vary.
(RI.3.6 POINT OF VIEW)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Reading a Chart
Use the skill builder “Earth’s Hottest Spots” to have students compare the highest recorded temperatures for the seven continents.
(RI.3.5 USING TEXT FEATURES)
Text-to-Speech