Lesson 1
Part 1: Introduction
Asking Questions About Key Ideas
CCSS
RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text, referring
explicitly to the text as the basis for the answer.
Theme: Animal Homes
We ask questions to get information about something. A question often begins with
who, what, where, when, why, or how. When you answer a question, it’s important to
show how and where you found the answer.
In the picture, make four question marks next to things you want to ask about.
Prairie Dog Home
Now read the table below to see how you can ask questions to get information.
Fill in the last row with one of your own questions, a detail from the picture that
helps you answer the question, and your answer.
Question
Details from Picture
Answer
What are most of the animals
in the picture called?
The title of the picture is
“Prairie Dog Home”
The animals in the picture
are prairie dogs.
Where do these animals live?
The picture shows the
animals in underground
tunnels.
They live underground.
Why do these animals live
underground?
It looks like bigger animals
might try to hurt them.
They can be safe from
bigger animals.
Good readers ask questions when they read because good questions lead to good
answers! Questions help you pay closer attention to what you read. And they also help
you get unstuck when you run into something confusing.
L1: Asking Questions About Key Ideas
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3
Part 2: Modeled Instruction
Lesson 1
Read the first part of a science passage about beaver homes.
Genre: Science
Beaver Lodges By Bryan Davis
Do you know the saying “busy as a beaver”? People say this because beavers are always
working. These crafty creatures spend a lot of time building their homes.
Beaver homes are called lodges. They are found along streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.
Beavers build these homes from branches and rocks. They use mud to hold them together.
When they can, beavers build their homes into the banks along the water. Other times,
they first build a dam from logs, branches, and mud. They get the logs by gnawing at trees
until they fall down. A dam is like a wall that blocks water. It then forms a pond. Once the
dam is built, beavers can get to the business of building their lodge.
(continued)
Explore how to answer this question: “What do beavers use to build their homes? Include details
from the text in your answer.”
Underline details in the paragraphs above to find out what beavers use to build their homes.
Some details from the passage are shown in the chart below. Write another detail on the
lines. Put quote marks around text taken from the passage.
Question
What do beavers
use to build their
homes?
Details from Passage
•“Beavers build these homes
from branches and rocks.”
•
Answer
Some things beavers use to
build their homes are branches,
.
Fill in the blank below to write about the answer you just found.
I found the answer to the question in paragraph number
4
of the passage.
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Part 3: Guided Instruction
Lesson 1
Continue reading about beaver homes. Use the Close Reading
and the Hint to help you answer the question.
Close Reading
Beavers have an
interesting way of
getting into their
homes. Find and
underline the sentence
that tells why they
have secret openings
to their homes.
(continued from page 4)
Beaver lodges are shaped like a dome. They are usually
about 10 feet high and 20 feet across. Most lodges have at least
one underwater opening. To get inside, the beavers must swim
underwater. These “secret” openings keep out unwanted
predators.
Inside the beaver lodge are different “rooms.” There is an
eating room and a nesting room. The floor of the lodge is built
up out of the water. It is also made from rocks, branches, and
mud. It is covered with plants and other soft materials.
A family of beavers lives in a lodge. Two parents and two
sets of their offspring often live together.
Hint
Which choice is a
question that is
answered by a detail
in the passage?
Circle the correct answer.
Which question can be answered by reading the paragraphs above?
A Where in the world can you find beavers?
B How long does it take beavers to build a lodge?
C Why do beaver lodges have underwater openings?
D What do beavers like to eat?
Show Your Thinking
Look at the answer that you chose above. Explain the answer to the question by using
information in the passage.
Pick one detail from an answer you did not choose. Tell your partner what information
would need to be in the paragraph above to answer the question.
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Part 4: Guided Practice
Lesson 1
Read the science passage. Use the Study Buddy and Close Reading to guide your reading.
Genre: Science
Termite Mounds 1
by Madeline Clark
Some termites are called mound builders. They work
together to build a nest from mounds of clay. Some of these
After I read this
passage, I’ll write down
some questions I have.
For example, why do
some animals like to
turn termite mounds
into their homes?
mounds are more like towers. They stand almost 35 feet tall!
2
Mound builders are found in Africa, Australia, and parts
of South America. Other animals in these areas also use
termite mounds. Some wait until the termites move away.
Others ignore the termites and use the mound anyway.
3
Termite mounds are usually the highest point on a plain.
Cheetahs often climb to the top and use the mound as a
lookout point. Cheetahs keep an eye out for their next meal
from high atop the mound.
4
When the termites move on to a new nest, they leave their
tall mounds behind. That’s good news for animals that
know how to put an empty termite mound to good use.
Close Reading
What small animals
use termite mounds?
Underline the different
animals mentioned
in paragraph 5.
5
Why do some large
animals like termite
mounds? Underline
a sentence that tells
how large animals
use them.
6
Some animals take over a termite mound and make it
their home. Mongooses are small animals in Africa. They
make a hole in the mound to get inside. The termite mound
keeps them safe from other animals. Snakes also use an
empty termite mound as a home.
Termite mounds also come in handy for large animals.
Elephants and rhinos use them as scratching posts. Bug
bites and dry mud can make any creature itchy. These
large animals stand near a mound and rub against them.
Sometimes they even stand over a mound to scratch
their bellies!
6
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Part 4: Guided Practice
Hints
Lesson 1
Use the Hints on this page to help you answer the questions.
What do you find out
about cheetahs in
paragraph 3?
1 Why do cheetahs like to climb up termite mounds?
A They can look far to see animals to hunt.
B They can sleep safely on top of termite mounds.
C They use termite mounds as scratching posts.
D They can call to each other more easily.
What animals does
paragraph 5 describe?
What do those
animals do?
2 Which question can be answered by reading paragraph 5?
A How tall is a termite mound?
B Why do mongooses move into termite mounds?
C What large animals use termite mounds?
D What animals are mound builders?
Reread paragraph 6.
What do you learn
about larger animals
and termite mounds?
3 Describe how rhinos and elephants use termite mounds.
Use two details from the passage to support your answer.
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Part 5: Common Core Practice
Lesson 1
Read the science article. Then answer the questions that follow.
Teeny Tiny Tardigrades
by Mary Reina, Highlights
1 What would you say if someone asked you
to name Earth’s toughest survivor? Camels can go
a week without drinking. A cockroach can survive
more radiation than a person. But there is a teeny
tiny creature that can go without food or water for
years. It is so small that it can be seen only under a
microscope. Its real name is tardigrade. Most people
call it a water bear.
Surviving Everything
2 Water bears look like soft, squishy bugs. People
call them bears because they walk the way bears do.
Most water bears are smaller than the period at the
end of this sentence. Don’t let their size fool you. They
are found in places that would kill most living things.
3 Some water bears survive in the boiling water
found in hot springs. Others live miles below the
ocean surface. They survive with tons of water
pressing down on them.
A tardigrade, photographed
under a microscope
4 Not all water bears live in extreme places. They can be found in parks, forests, and
gardens. They thrive in damp, woody areas where mosses and other plant life grow. Many
feed by sucking juices out of plants. Others eat creatures that are smaller than they are.
Drying Up
5 Water bears must have water to stay active. It helps them eat, move, and breathe. So
what happens when the water around one of these tiny creatures dries up? First, it pulls in its
eight legs. Then, it curls its body into a barrel shape called a tun. It loses 99 percent of its water.
Then every single life function of the water bear stops.
6 When conditions get better, the water bear stretches its little legs and starts moving
and eating again.
8
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Part 5: Common Core Practice
Lesson 1
7 Water bears can survive the extreme cold and radiation of outer space. Scientists sent
some water bears into space as part of an unmanned mission. They came back fine!
8 Not so long ago, most scientists believed life did not exist beyond Earth. Now, many
think it is possible. If water bears can survive a visit to outer space, who knows what other
creatures might live there?
Answer Form
Answer the questions. Mark your answers to
questions 1–3 on the Answer Form to the right.
1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C D
Number
Correct
3
1 Which question can be answered by reading paragraph 2?
A How long can a camel go without water?
B Why do people call tardigrades water bears?
C Where do water bears live?
D How do water bears eat?
2 Which sentence from the text shows what happens when a tardigrade doesn’t
have any water?
A “Then every single life function of the water bear stops.“
B “They thrive in damp, woody areas where mosses and other plant life
grow.“
C “When conditions get better, the water bear stretches its little legs and
starts moving and eating again.“
D “But there is a teeny tiny creature that can go without food or water for
years.“
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Part 5: Common Core Practice
Lesson 1
3 Read these sentences from the article.
Water bears must have water to stay active. It helps them eat, move,
and breathe.
Which question can be answered after reading these sentences?
A How long can a water bear survive without water?
B What food do water bears eat?
C Where do water bears get their water?
D Why is water important to water bears?
4 The article says that if alien life exists, it might be like tardigrades. Write a
paragraph telling why this idea might be correct. Use two details from the
article to support your answer.
Self Check Go back and see what you can check off on the Self Check on page 1.
10
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Lesson 1
(Student Book pages 3–10)
Asking Questions About Key Ideas
Theme: Animal Homes
Lesson Objectives
Tap Students’ Prior Knowledge
•Show understanding of a text by asking and answering
questions.
•Tell students they will be learning to ask and answer
questions about informational text.
•Refer to the text to support the answers to questions
formulated about the text.
•Explain that when you come up with questions as you
are reading a text and then search the text for answers,
you’ll learn more about what you are reading.
The Learning Progression
•Grade 2: CCSS RI.2.1 requires students to answer
questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and
how to demonstrate an understanding of a text.
•Grade 3: CCSS RI.3.1 builds on the Grade 2
standard by expanding the types of questions
students must formulate and answer, and by
emphasizing that students need to closely read the
text to take away meaning. By asking questions
and answering them with direct evidence from the
text, students learn to demonstrate comprehension
of a text’s key ideas and details.
•Grade 4: CCSS RI.4.1 requires students to move
beyond asking and answering questions to
making inferences.
•Present a short informational passage students have
read recently. Use the passage to demonstrate the
process of asking questions about the content and
then finding answers to those questions in the text.
•Explain that facts are pieces of real information that
can be checked, and ideas are thoughts about a topic.
Facts and ideas often provide the answers to questions
about a text. Now look at the informational text. What
facts does the text include? What ideas are given?
Challenge students to ask as many questions as they
can about the text. If needed, explain that questions
often begin with the words who, what, when, where,
why, and how. Encourage students to think of at least
one question that starts with each of these words.
Prerequisite Skills
•Then have the class answer and discuss several
of the questions together. Remind them that the
answers to the questions come from the text.
•Understand how answering questions about the text,
such as who, what, when, where, why, and how, clarifies
understanding of the text.
•Asking and answering questions can help students
learn new things. When students ask questions
about a text, it helps them to better understand it.
•Use specific details and examples from the text
to answer questions about the text.
Teacher Toolbox
Teacher-Toolbox.com
Prerequisite
Skills
✓
✓
Ready Lessons
Tools for Instruction
Interactive Tutorials
RI.3.1
✓
CCSS Focus
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answer.
ADDITIONAL STANDARDS: R I.3.2; RI.3.4; RI.3.5; RI.3.7; W.3.2; W.3.7; SL.3.1; SL.3.1.c; SL.3.4; L.3.1.a; L.3.4; L.3.4.a; L.3.5.a
(See page A39 for full text.)
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1
Part 1: Introduction
Lesson 1
At a glance
Students will use an illustration to explore the idea of
asking and answering questions. They will learn to use
this strategy as they read a text.
step by step
•Read the explanation of asking and answering
questions about a text. Encourage students to study
the illustration and think of five questions about it.
Have students place a question mark next to each
place in the picture they have a question about.
•Explain that the table includes three questions and
answers about the illustration. Read the first column,
and ask students to point to places in the picture that
might help answer those questions. Then read the
second column and see if students identified the
same places and details. Read the third column
and discuss the answers to the questions.
•Ask students to write one of their own questions
in the blank row. Then have them write a detail in
the illustration that helps them answer the question.
Finally, tell them to write their answer in the third
column.
Lesson 1
Part 1: Introduction
Asking Questions About Key Ideas
ccSS
RI.3.1: Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a text, referring
explicitly to the text as the basis for the answer.
Theme: Animal Homes
We ask questions to get information about something. A question often begins with
who, what, where, when, why, or how. When you answer a question, it’s important to
show how and where you found the answer.
In the picture, make four question marks next to things you want to ask about.
Prairie Dog Home
Now read the table below to see how you can ask questions to get information.
Fill in the last row with one of your own questions, a detail from the picture that
helps you answer the question, and your answer.
Question
Details from Picture
Answer
What are most of the animals
in the picture called?
The title of the picture is
“Prairie Dog Home”
The animals in the picture
are prairie dogs.
Where do these animals live?
The picture shows the
animals in underground
tunnels.
They live underground.
Why do these animals live
underground?
It looks like bigger animals
might try to hurt them.
They can be safe from
bigger animals.
Responses will vary.
Responses will vary.
Responses will vary.
Good readers ask questions when they read because good questions lead to good
answers! Questions help you pay closer attention to what you read. And they also help
you get unstuck when you run into something confusing.
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•Reinforce how asking and answering questions is a
valuable reading strategy by sharing some questions
you asked yourself while reading an article. Then
describe how you used details from the text to
answer those questions. Explain how this strategy
helped you to better understand the article.
Genre Focus
Informational Text: Science Article
Tell students that in this lesson they will read
informational texts relating to science.
Explain that an informational text is a piece of writing
that provides information about a topic. The purpose
of an informational text is to inform (tell about) or to
explain.
The opening of an informational text usually engages the
reader’s attention, and the body of the text gives facts,
examples, details, and so on. It answers the questions
who, what, when, where, why, and how. Articles may also
contain subheadings, which signal to the reader what’s
coming next.
2
Based on these characteristics, ask students to think
of and name other informational texts they have read.
What were they about, and what information did they
learn from them? Discuss that knowing a text is
informational helps readers know to look for facts and
ideas that answer questions about the given topic.
Explain that “Beaver Lodges” and “Termite Mounds” are
both examples of science texts. They give facts about a
specific kind of animal and its home. Point out that
“Teeny Tiny Tardigrades” is a science article and
includes several subheadings, which help organize the
information. These subheadings can also help readers
locate information when they are looking for the answer
to a question.
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Lesson 1
Part 2: Modeled Instruction
at a glance
Part 2: modeled Instruction
Students use details from a science passage to answer a
question about it.
Lesson 1
Read the first part of a science passage about beaver homes.
Genre: Science
Beaver Lodges
step by step
By Bryan Davis
Do you know the saying “busy as a beaver”? People say this because beavers are always
working. These crafty creatures spend a lot of time building their homes.
•Remind students they just asked questions about an
illustration and used details in the picture to answer
those questions.
Beaver homes are called lodges. They are found along streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.
Beavers build these homes from branches and rocks. They use mud to hold them together.
When they can, beavers build their homes into the banks along the water. Other times,
they first build a dam from logs, branches, and mud. They get the logs by gnawing at trees
until they fall down. A dam is like a wall that blocks water. It then forms a pond. Once the
•Tell students that in this lesson they will ask and
answer questions as they read a science passage.
dam is built, beavers can get to the business of building their lodge.
(continued)
explore how to answer this question: “What do beavers use to build their homes? Include details
from the text in your answer.”
•Read aloud the passage “Beaver Lodges.”
underline details in the paragraphs above to find out what beavers use to build their homes.
•Then read the question: “What do beavers use to
build their homes? Use details from the text in your
answer.”
Some details from the passage are shown in the chart below. write another detail on the
lines. Put quote marks around text taken from the passage.
Question
What do beavers
use to build their
homes?
•Now tell students you will perform a Think Aloud
to demonstrate a way of answering the question.
Think Aloud: In order to find the things that beavers
use to build their homes, I need to look for details or
facts about beaver homes. The third sentence in the
second paragraph begins with, “Beavers build these
homes.” That’s probably a good place to begin. This
sentence and the next, which begins, “They use,” list
materials that beavers use to build their homes. I’ll
underline these materials to help me remember them.
•Have students underline the words branches and rocks.
•Direct students to the chart and ask them where
they’ve seen a chart like this before. Point out that
this chart includes the question they are trying to
answer, details from the text that help answer the
question, and the answer to the question.
Think Aloud: I have some details to answer the
question, but I’m going to continue reading to make
sure I have them all. Once I have all the details, I can
answer the question.
•Ask students to continue reading and underlining
relevant details in the text, including the word mud
in the fourth sentence of paragraph 2. Have them
record this detail in the second column of the chart.
•Have students fill in the third column of the chart.
•Finally, have students complete the activity at the
bottom of the page. Invite volunteers to share their
answers with the class.
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Details from Passage
• “Beavers build these homes
from branches and rocks.”
• “They use mud to hold
them together.”
Answer
Some things beavers use to
build their homes are branches,
rocks, and mud
Fill in the blank below to write about the answer you just found.
two
I found the answer to the question in paragraph number
4
.
of the passage.
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Tier Two Vocabulary: Crafty
•Tell students that the word craft has several
meanings. As a verb, “to craft” means to make
something with skill. As a noun, a craft is
something made with a special skill by hand.
•Ask students to name some kinds of crafts.
(woodworking, jewelry making) What kinds of
crafts have they done in the past?
•Have students find the word crafty in paragraph 1
and read the sentence in which it appears. Explain
that the suffix “y” makes crafty an adjective, or
describing word. Given the context of the sentence
where the word appears and what students know,
what does crafty mean in the passage? (“skillful at
making something”) Ask what other words would
make sense in place of crafty. (skillful, talented)
Also mention that crafty can be used to describe
someone who is tricky. For example, the wolf in
“Little Red Riding Hood” is crafty because he tries
to trick others. (RI.3.4; L.3.4.a)
3
Lesson 1
Part 3: Guided Instruction
at a Glance
Students continue reading about beaver lodges. They
answer a multiple-choice question and analyze the
details that helped them select the correct answer.
Step by Step
•Tell students that they will continue reading about
beaver homes, or lodges.
•Close Reading will help students identify the detail
in this passage that helps them answer the question.
The Hint phrases the question for them in a different
way to help them understand what the question
is asking.
•Have students read the passage and underline the
sentence as directed by Close Reading that tells why
beavers have secret openings to their homes. If
necessary, direct students to find the word secret.
•Ask volunteers to share the sentence they underlined.
Discuss how that sentence answers the question.
If necessary, ask: “What does secret mean? What
happens because the openings are secret?”
•After students have answered the multiple-choice
question, have them respond to the question in Show
Your Thinking. Place students into pairs to discuss
the Pair Share question. Point out that their answers
should be general. They do not, for example, need to
know what a beaver eats. Ask students to discuss
what sources they might use to find the answers to
these questions.
Answer Analysis
Choice A is incorrect. This passage does not include
details about where beavers are found in the world.
Choice B is incorrect. There are no details in this passage
about how long it takes beavers to build a lodge.
Choice C is correct. This passage includes details
about “secret” openings and why beavers build them.
Choice D is incorrect. This passage does not include
details about what beavers like to eat.
Part 3: guided Instruction
Lesson 1
continue reading about beaver homes. use the close Reading
and the hint to help you answer the question.
close Reading
(continued from page 4)
Beaver lodges are shaped like a dome. They are usually
Beavers have an
interesting way of
getting into their
homes. Find and
underline the sentence
that tells why they
have secret openings
to their homes.
about 10 feet high and 20 feet across. Most lodges have at least
one underwater opening. To get inside, the beavers must swim
underwater. These “secret” openings keep out unwanted
predators.
Inside the beaver lodge are different “rooms.” There is an
eating room and a nesting room. The floor of the lodge is built
up out of the water. It is also made from rocks, branches, and
mud. It is covered with plants and other soft materials.
A family of beavers lives in a lodge. Two parents and two
sets of their offspring often live together.
hint
circle the correct answer.
Which choice is a
question that is
answered by a detail
in the passage?
Which question can be answered by reading the paragraphs above?
A Where in the world can you find beavers?
b
How long does it take beavers to build a lodge?
c
Why do beaver lodges have underwater openings?
D What do beavers like to eat?
Show your Thinking
Look at the answer that you chose above. Explain the answer to the question by using
information in the passage.
Responses will vary.
Pick one detail from an answer you did not choose. Tell your partner what information
would need to be in the paragraph above to answer the question.
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Tier Two Vocabulary: Dome
•Share with students a picture of a building that
has a dome shape, such as a sports stadium or
the U.S. Capitol building, and say that the shape
of the roof is like half of a sphere.
•Then show students a picture of a beaver lodge
and ask them how the shapes of the buildings are
similar to the beaver lodge. Work with students to
give another example of something that is shaped
this way. (an igloo)
•Direct students to the word dome in paragraph 3.
Work with them to determine that it means
“a structure that has a rounded shape” in this
context. (RI.3.4; L.3.4.a)
ERROR ALERT: Students who did not choose C
might not have understood the question. Remind
them to look for details in the passage that answer
the question. Although all four questions are about
beavers, only C is answered in the passage.
4
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Lesson 1
Part 4: Guided Practice
at a glance
Part 4: guided Practice
Students read a passage about termite mounds twice.
After the first reading, ask four questions to check your
students’ comprehension of the passage.
Lesson 1
Read the science passage. use the Study buddy and close Reading to guide your reading.
Genre: Science
Termite Mounds
step by step
1
by Madeline Clark
Some termites are called mound builders. They work
together to build a nest from mounds of clay. Some of these
After I read this
passage, I’ll write down
some questions I have.
For example, why do
some animals like to
turn termite mounds
into their homes?
•Have students read the passage silently without
referring to the Study Buddy or Close Reading text.
•Ask the following questions to ensure student
comprehension of the text:
mounds are more like towers. They stand almost 35 feet tall!
2
Mound builders are found in Africa, Australia, and parts
of South America. Other animals in these areas also use
termite mounds. Some wait until the termites move away.
Others ignore the termites and use the mound anyway.
3
Termite mounds are usually the highest point on a plain.
Cheetahs often climb to the top and use the mound as a
lookout point. Cheetahs keep an eye out for their next meal
Why are some termites called mound builders?
(They build tall nests that look like towers.)
from high atop the mound.
4
When the termites move on to a new nest, they leave their
tall mounds behind. That’s good news for animals that
Where in the world are mound builder termites
found? (They are found in Africa, Australia, and parts
of South America.)
When are termite mounds empty? (Termite mounds
are empty when the termites move on to a new nest.)
How do mound builders help other animals? (Both
small and large animals use empty termite mounds for
many different uses.)
•Then ask students to reread paragraph 2 and look at
the Study Buddy think aloud. What does the Study
Buddy help them think about?
Tip: Explain to students that readers ask questions
about a text when a fact or detail in the text causes
them to be curious. Good readers then go back and
reread a section of text to look for an answer to their
question.
•Have students read the rest of the passage. Tell them
to follow the directions in the Close Reading.
Tip: Rereading is a useful strategy that helps readers
answer their questions or check that they have
understood what they just read.
•Finally, have students answer the questions on page 7.
Use the Answer Analysis to discuss correct and
incorrect responses.
know how to put an empty termite mound to good use.
close Reading
What small animals
use termite mounds?
underline the different
animals mentioned
in paragraph 5.
5
Why do some large
animals like termite
mounds? underline
a sentence that tells
how large animals
use them.
6
Some animals take over a termite mound and make it
their home. Mongooses are small animals in Africa. They
make a hole in the mound to get inside. The termite mound
keeps them safe from other animals. Snakes also use an
empty termite mound as a home.
Termite mounds also come in handy for large animals.
Elephants and rhinos use them as scratching posts. Bug
bites and dry mud can make any creature itchy. These
large animals stand near a mound and rub against them.
Sometimes they even stand over a mound to scratch
their bellies!
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ELL Support: Idioms
•Share the idiom “all ears.” Have students describe
what being all ears would look like. Discuss that
this phrase does not actually mean there is a
creature that is only ears. Instead, it tells that
you are very eager to listen to what someone
has to say. (e.g., “He was all ears when it came to
hearing about his aunt’s adventures in skydiving.”)
•Explain to students that this is an example of
an idiom. An idiom is an expression that means
more than its individual words. Share a few more
common idioms with students. (“ants in your
pants,” “go round in circles”)
•Have students find the idiom “come in handy”
in paragraph 6. Work with students to write a
definition for this idiom. (“to be useful or helpful”)
•Ask students to use the idiom “come in handy”
in a sentence of their own. (L.3.5.a)
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5
Lesson 1
Part 4: Guided Practice
step by step
Part 4: guided Practice
•Have students read questions 1–3, using the Hints to
help them answer those questions.
use the hints on this page to help you answer the questions.
hints
What do you find out
about cheetahs in
paragraph 3?
Tip: If students are having trouble answering
question 3, have them reread the last paragraph and
tell about it in their own words. Review that when
they use details to support their answers, they should
cite the text’s exact words by using quotation marks.
What animals does
paragraph 5 describe?
What do those
animals do?
Reread paragraph 6.
What do you learn
about larger animals
and termite mounds?
1 The correct choice is A. The third paragraph
includes details about cheetahs, which use termite
mounds as lookout points for their next meal.
The passage does not support choices B and D
because it does not include details about animals
that use mounds to sleep on or to call to each other.
choice C explains how elephants and rhinos use
termite mounds as scratching posts, but it does not
support why cheetahs climb up the mounds.
reteaching
Question
Why do cheetahs
like to climb up
termite mounds?
6
Detail
“Cheetahs often
climb to the top
and use the
mound as a
lookout point.”
Answer
Cheetahs can
see far into the
distance from
the top of termite
mounds.
b
They can sleep safely on top of termite mounds.
c
They use termite mounds as scratching posts.
2 Which question can be answered by reading paragraph 5?
A How tall is a termite mound?
b
Why do mongooses move into termite mounds?
c
What large animals use termite mounds?
3 Describe how rhinos and elephants use termite mounds.
Use two details from the passage to support your answer.
See sample response.
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7
Integrating Standards
Use these questions to further students’ understanding
of “Termite Mounds.”
1 What is the main idea of “Termite Mounds”?
Provide one detail from the text that supports
this main idea. (RI.3.2)
Use a graphic organizer to verify the correct answer to
question 1. Draw the graphic organizer below, leaving
the boxes blank. Work with students to fill in the
boxes, using information from the passage. Sample
responses are provided.
A They can look far to see animals to hunt.
D What animals are mound builders?
Answer Analysis
3 Sample response: These large animals rub against
termite mounds to scratch bug bites. Paragraph 6
states that they use the mounds “as scratching
posts.” It also states that they “stand near a mound
and rub against them.”
1 Why do cheetahs like to climb up termite mounds?
D They can call to each other more easily.
•Discuss with students the Answer Analysis below.
2 The correct choice is B. Paragraph 5 includes details
about mongooses and how they use termite mounds.
The questions in choices A and D can be answered
by the details in paragraph 1. Choice C can be
answered by the details about large animals that
use termite mounds in paragraph 6.
Lesson 1
Termite mounds have different uses for different
animals. After termites move away from a mound,
some animals “take over a termite mound and
make it their home.”
2 When do snakes use termite mounds? What
clues in the text suggest that this is when snakes
use the mounds? (RI.3.3)
The passage says that snakes “use an empty termite
mound as a home,” so they must use termite mounds
after the termites have moved away to build a new
mound.
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Lesson 1
Part 5: Common Core Practice
Part 5: common core Practice
Part 5: common core Practice
Lesson 1
Read the science article. Then answer the questions that follow.
7
Water bears can survive the extreme cold and radiation of outer space. Scientists sent
some water bears into space as part of an unmanned mission. They came back fine!
Teeny Tiny Tardigrades
8
Not so long ago, most scientists believed life did not exist beyond Earth. Now, many
think it is possible. If water bears can survive a visit to outer space, who knows what other
creatures might live there?
by Mary Reina, Highlights
1
What would you say if someone asked you
to name Earth’s toughest survivor? Camels can go
a week without drinking. A cockroach can survive
more radiation than a person. But there is a teeny
tiny creature that can go without food or water for
years. It is so small that it can be seen only under a
microscope. Its real name is tardigrade. Most people
call it a water bear.
Answer Form
Answer the questions. Mark your answers to
questions 1–3 on the Answer Form to the right.
1
Surviving Everything
1 A B C D
2 A B C D
3 A B C D
Number
correct
3
Which question can be answered by reading paragraph 2?
A How long can a camel go without water?
2
Water bears look like soft, squishy bugs. People
call them bears because they walk the way bears do.
Most water bears are smaller than the period at the
end of this sentence. Don’t let their size fool you. They
are found in places that would kill most living things.
3
Some water bears survive in the boiling water
found in hot springs. Others live miles below the
ocean surface. They survive with tons of water
pressing down on them.
Lesson 1
B
Why do people call tardigrades water bears?
C Where do water bears live?
D How do water bears eat?
A tardigrade, photographed
under a microscope
4
Not all water bears live in extreme places. They can be found in parks, forests, and
gardens. They thrive in damp, woody areas where mosses and other plant life grow. Many
feed by sucking juices out of plants. Others eat creatures that are smaller than they are.
Drying Up
5
Water bears must have water to stay active. It helps them eat, move, and breathe. So
what happens when the water around one of these tiny creatures dries up? First, it pulls in its
eight legs. Then, it curls its body into a barrel shape called a tun. It loses 99 percent of its water.
Then every single life function of the water bear stops.
2
Which sentence from the text shows what happens when a tardigrade doesn’t
have any water?
A “Then every single life function of the water bear stops.“
B
“They thrive in damp, woody areas where mosses and other plant life
grow.“
C “When conditions get better, the water bear stretches its little legs and
starts moving and eating again.“
D “But there is a teeny tiny creature that can go without food or water for
years.“
6
When conditions get better, the water bear stretches its little legs and starts moving
and eating again.
8
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9
at a glance
answer analysis
Students independently read a longer article and answer
questions in a format that provides test practice.
1 Choice B is correct. Paragraph 2 includes the
following detail: “People call them bears because
they walk the way bears do.” Choice A is about
camels, which are only mentioned in paragraph 1.
Choice C is a question about where water bears live.
Details that answer this question can be found in
paragraphs 3 and 4. Choice D asks about how water
bears eat, which is discussed in paragraph 4.
(DOK 1)
step by step
•Tell students to use what they have learned about
reading closely and asking and answering questions
to read the passage on pages 8 and 9.
•Remind students to underline important details
and facts.
•Tell students to answer the questions on pages 9
and 10. For questions 1–3, they should fill in the
correct circle on the Answer Form.
•When students have finished, use the Answer Analysis
to discuss correct responses. Have students fill in the
number correct on the Answer Form.
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Theme Connection
•How do all the passages in this lesson relate to
the theme of animal homes?
•Which home is most interesting to you? Why?
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Lesson 1
Part 5: Common Core Practice
2 Choice A is correct. The article explains that
without water, the tardigrade curls up and shuts
down, waiting for water to appear. Choice B is
incorrect because it shows what happens when
tardigrades have plenty of water. Choice C is
incorrect because it describes what happens when
the lack of water is over. Choice D is incorrect
because it does not explain how the tardigrade
survives without water. (DOK 1)
Part 5: common core Practice
3
Lesson 1
Read these sentences from the article.
Water bears must have water to stay active. It helps them eat, move,
and breathe.
Which question can be answered after reading these sentences?
A How long can a water bear survive without water?
B
What food do water bears eat?
C Where do water bears get their water?
D Why is water important to water bears?
3 Choice D is correct. These sentences provide facts
about why water bears must have water. These
facts help answer the question about why water
is important to water bears, such as to breathe.
Choice A asks about the length of time water bears
can survive without water. Choice B is about what
water bears eat. Choice C is about where water
bears get water. The two sentences do not include
details that answer these questions. (DOK 1)
4
The article says that if alien life exists, it might be like tardigrades. Write a
paragraph telling why this idea might be correct. Use two details from the
article to support your answer.
See sample response.
4 Sample response: Scientists did not think there could
be life in space. Then the tardigrades survived a space
trip. That showed scientists there could be other
creatures that can survive radiation and extreme cold,
just like the tardigrades. (DOK 3)
Self check Go back and see what you can check oﬀ on the Self Check on page 1.
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Integrating Standards
Use these questions and tasks as opportunities to
interact with “Teeny Tiny Tardigrades.”
1 Look at the photo of the tardigrade. How does it
help you to better understand the text? (RI.3.7)
Paragraphs 5 and 6 include details about what
happens to tardigrades when they have no water.
These paragraphs come after the heading “Drying
Up.”
3 What does the author mean when she mentions
the “extreme cold” of outer space? What are
examples of “extreme places”? (RI.3.4; L.3.4.a)
8
The photo helps me understand what tardigrades look
like and why they are called water bears.
2 Which paragraphs discuss what happens to
tardigrades when they are not in water? How do
you know this? (RI.3.5)
4 Write the main idea of this article, including
two key details that support this main idea.
(RI.3.2; W.3.2)
Tardigrades are animals that can survive conditions
that most other living things could not. Tardigrades
“survive in the boiling water found in hot springs.”
They can also live miles below the ocean surface
“with tons of water pressing down on them.”
5 Discuss in small groups: What are other examples
of animals that live in extreme environments or
have adapted to life in an extreme place? (SL.3.1)
Discussions will vary. Encourage students to consider
animals they already know, have read about, or have
seen on television or in a movie. Examples include
deep-sea angler fish, penguins, and camels.
Extreme cold means temperatures that are so cold,
they cannot get much colder. Extreme places include
outer space because of its extreme cold and the
bottom of the ocean because of its extreme darkness.
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Lesson 1
Additional Activities
Writing Activities
Informative Text (W.3.2)
•Ask students to think about the passages in this lesson. They are all about animal homes. What are other
types of animal homes?
•Have students write a short informational text about an animal’s home. Students can write about any animal
they choose. Have them use “Termite Mounds” as a model. Remind them to introduce the topic, develop the
topic with facts and details, and include a concluding statement. Encourage students to include a drawing.
Adjectives (L.3.1.a)
•Have students reread the first paragraph on page 4. Remind students that adjectives are words that describe
or give more information about nouns. Ask students to identify adjectives in this paragraph (hard, crafty,
special) and explain how those adjective help create a better picture as they read.
•Encourage students to find other adjectives in this lesson’s passages and explain how these words improve
the writing.
•Have students write three descriptive sentences that use adjectives.
Listening activity (SL.3.1.c)
media activity (SL.3.5)
Listen Closely/Ask and Answer Questions
Be Creative/Create Captions
•After reading “Beaver Lodges,” ask small groups
of students to ask one another questions about
the passage.
•Have students review the photo of a tardigrade
on page 8. Remind them that water bears are able
to live in places most animals cannot.
•Each student must listen closely to the questions
that other students ask. They should be able to
use details and facts from the passage to answer
the questions.
•Invite students to find photos of other animals
that live in places where most living things
cannot, such as very hot or cold places. Have
students write a brief caption for each photo that
names the animal and describes where it lives.
discussion activity (SL.3.1)
Talk in a Group/Talk About Animal Homes
•Ask students to recall facts and details about
termite mounds that made the mounds useful for
different animals.
•Have students form small groups to compare and
contrast termite mounds with beaver lodges.
Students should make a list of similarities and
differences.
•Appoint one member of each group to take notes,
and allow 10–15 minutes for discussion. Then
have each group share its results with the class.
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•Have students exchange photos and captions and
describe what they see.
research activity (SL.3.4; W.3.7)
Research and Present/Give a Presentation
•Ask students to use information in “Termite
Mounds” to plan an oral presentation about the
homes that termites build.
•Students should produce a visual display, such as
a detailed picture, to accompany the presentation.
•Ask students to research additional information
to include, such as nests, caves, and underground
tunnels. Students should take notes and write
a brief report for their oral presentations.
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