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Author

Oregon Forest Resources Institute

Grades

2nd, 3rd, 4th

Subjects

Science, Biology, English Language Arts

Resource Types

  • Digital Text, 20 pages
  • Worksheet
  • Activity - Classroom

Regional Focus

Global, North America, United States, USA - West, Oregon

Format

PDF

Forest Essays

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Synopsis
  • This is a downloadable reading comprehension activity about animals that live in Oregon forests, including sketched images of the animals, short reading passages, and corresponding questions for each passage.
  • Students will learn about different animals in an engaging way and the stories include space for students to write their answers on the printed sheets.
Teaching Tips

Positives

  • The questions support reading comprehension and writing skills.
  • This resource is an excellent one for teaching about Oregon's forest animals through engaging stories. 

Additional Prerequisites

  • Younger students may need help answering the questions after each essay.

Differentiation

  • Cross-curricular connections can be made in art class by using the images as coloring pages.
  • Connect this resource to topics about climate change by discussing how these animals might be affected by droughts, higher temperatures, wildfires, or floods.
  • Consider assigning students to read or act out different parts in the stories to make the stories interactive.
  • Consider using this resource in reading stations or in a station rotation model. 
  • As an extension, prompt students to write an essay in a similar style about another of Oregon's forest animals. This can be done individually, in groups, or as a whole class. 
Scientist Notes
This is a series of essays that allows students to learn about the native fauna of Oregonian Forests. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Standards

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.

  • English Language Arts
    • Reading: Literature (K-12)
      • RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
      • RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
      • RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major event(s) in a story, using key details.
      • RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories.
      • RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges using key details.
      • RL.2.10 Read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, at grade level text complexity or above with scaffolding as needed.
      • RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the plot.
      • RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems at grade level text complexity or above, with scaffolding as needed.
  • Science
    • LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
      • 2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
      • 3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.
      • 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
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