Comprehension Units

These research-based units facilitate precise questioning based on evidence in the text and focused discussion to enable comprehension of the entire text. Read-aloud lessons and paired text activities embody the most effective research-proven instructional practices to support student comprehension. Units are based on superb, carefully selected books, with authentic paired passages. The easy-to-use alignment tool allows you to see how each lesson aligns with your State Standards or the Common Core standards.

 
Fountas & Pinnell
Lexile

Kindergarten Units

Digging Up Dinosaurs

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Summarize the steps necessary to collect, study, and build a dinosaur skeleton

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from “Who Is Sue?” and Digging Up Dinosaurs to determine whether the sequence of finding and studying fossils is explained with the same level of detail in both texts

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490L
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Good-Night, Owl!

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Use evidence from the text to describe what Owl wants to do during the story, why Owl is not successful, and what happens at the conclusion of the story, in order to discuss the important plot twist in the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “In the Night” and the book Good-Night, Owl! to develop their ability to make inferences and compare characters across different texts

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AD410L
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Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Use evidence from the text to explain why Harry valued his toy dinosaurs so much and why he liked playing with them more than he liked videos, in order to discuss a theme of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “Jack's Lost Kite” and the book Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs to compare characters and plots across different texts

 
 
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Moses Goes to a Concert

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Demonstrate understanding of the main idea by describing how Moses and his classmates experience and enjoy music

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the book Moses Goes to a Concert and the non-fiction passage “Instruments You Hit!” to speak about percussion instruments more knowledgeably

 
670L
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Owl Moon

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Analyze the book’s descriptive language and sensory imagery in order to identify connections between the author’s language and story elements such as setting and character

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “City Life and Country Life” and the book Owl Moon to make an inference about the setting of a story

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630L
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The Snowy Day

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and recall at least two ways in which the main character enjoys snow, and use information from the text and illustrations to infer information about snow

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage "Snow Science!" and the story The Snowy Day to determine the conditions necessary for the existence and use of snow

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500L
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To Be a Kid

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and compare different childhood activities to determine a main idea of the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “José and the Blue Crayons” and the book To Be a Kid in order to make an inference about a character in a story

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Where Do Polar Bears Live?

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and recall characteristics that allow polar bears to survive in an extremely cold Arctic environment

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the book Where Do Polar Bears Live? and the non-fiction passage "Good Night" in order to discuss the topic of hibernation

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710L
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Whoever You Are

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify similarities among people around the world in order to determine the theme of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “We Are Americans” and the book Whoever You Are to write or speak more knowledgably about what large groups of people have in common

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280L
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Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Students will identify how the author carefully chooses words to describe what instruments look like and sound like. Students will also be able to explain that an orchestra is made up of many musicians playing different instruments

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “The Symphony Orchestra” and the book Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin to speak or write about orchestras more knowledgeably

 
Non-Prose
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1st Grade Units

Bat Loves the Night

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify Bat’s physical characteristics and behavior to build students' knowledge of bats in nature

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction reading passage “Bat News” and the book Bat Loves the Night to recognize that bats are more helpful than harmful to humans and identify reasons why

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560L
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Come On, Rain!

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe how the feelings and actions of the characters change as the weather changes during the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Cool in the Hot Desert” and the book Come On, Rain! to describe and compare weather in different places

 
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The Dot

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Track changes in the main character’s behavior to infer changes in her state of mind, and then discuss why her behavior changes

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “How to Draw a Map” and the book The Dot to write or speak about drawing more knowledgably

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Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Gather information and describe important facts about thunder and lightning

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “The Whys of Weather – Clouds” and the book Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll to write or speak about clouds and weather knowledgeably

 
500L
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Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Examine instances of friendly relationships between animals of different species in order to discuss a main idea of the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “From Calf to Camel” and the book Friends: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships to write or speak about camels more knowledgably

 
 
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Ming Lo Moves the Mountain

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe the main character’s problem and his attempts to solve it in order to discuss the themes of wisdom and happiness

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction reading passage "Our New Old House" and the fiction text Ming Lo Moves the Mountain to compare and contrast the responses of characters to their surroundings

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600L
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Pierre the Penguin: A True Story

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Enumerate the sequence of events in the story that culminated with Pierre growing new feathers in order to discuss the main idea of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “An Owl is a Bird” and the book Pierre the Penguin: A True Story to compare two different kinds of birds

 
AD580L
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Stellaluna

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Compare Stellaluna’s experience of living like a bird with her experience of living like a bat in order to determine a theme of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Use evidence from “All About Bats” to determine whether the information about bats in Stellaluna is true

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550L
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The Treasure

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Explain how the journey of the main character illustrates the theme of the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction reading passage “The First Thanksgiving” and the book The Treasure to identify and compare ways of giving thanks

K
650L
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Willow

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Explain how Miss Hawthorn’s character changes as a result of her relationship with her student Willow, in order to discuss a theme of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “Callie Learns to Listen” and the book Willow to compare characters across different texts

 
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2nd Grade Units

The Empty Pot

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and compare the actions of the characters to determine the theme of this folk tale

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the informational fiction passage “My Bean Plant” and the story The Empty Pot to better understand what plants need to grow

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630L
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Fireflies!

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Determine the main character’s motivation for his actions at the end of the story by identifying and analyzing his thoughts, emotions, and actions

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Habitats - What is a Habitat?” and the book Fireflies! to determine what a habitat is and its importance to the animals living in it

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630L
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The Honeybee Man

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify important evidence from the text about the production of honey to discuss the main idea and make complex inferences

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “The Buzz About Honey” and the book The Honeybee Man to explain how honey is made

 
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The Little House

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and summarize the changes in the Little House’s life to determine a theme of the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “China’s Population” and the book The Little House to write or speak more knowledgeably about urban life

 
AD890L
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The Moon Over Star

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and compare the thoughts and actions of the two main characters to determine the message of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Walking Tall” and the book The Moon Over Star to write or speak more knowledgeably about two events in American history

 
 
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Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Compare the different settings in the book to identify and understand the major events in the Apollo 11 mission

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “What’s Up in Space?” and the book Moonshot to write or speak knowledgeably about Earth’s moon

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990L
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Officer Buckle and Gloria

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify the two main problems and solutions in the story to determine the theme

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the passage “Moka the Little Golden Dog” and the book Officer Buckle and Gloria to write or speak more knowledgably about service dogs

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510L
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Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify the main events in the story and track their sequence to determine the author's message

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Ride of the Century” and the book Sky Boys to write or speak more knowledgeably about historic construction projects

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Stone Soup

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify the big question about life that is asked in this folktale and describe the most important events in the story that lead to the answer

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the reading passage “My Travel Journal in China Day 5” and the book Stone Soup to analyze the actions of the characters in the two texts

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480L
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Two Bad Ants

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Analyze the language and illustrations to identify the settings in the story, and then determine the theme

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “A Small Life” and the book Two Bad Ants to recognize the importance of narrative perspective in a story

 
780L
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3rd Grade Units

The Art of Miss Chew

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and describe the experiences that helped the main character develop as an artist

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Blazing Art to Go” and the book The Art of Miss Chew to identify what it takes to succeed as an artist

 
630L
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe the two problems faced by the people in William’s village and what William did to solve these problems

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Ryan’s Well” and the book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind to compare solutions to water-related problems in Africa

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910L
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Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify major events in Frida Kahlo’s life and distinguishing characteristics of her art in order to discuss the relationship between her life and her art

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Portrait of an Artist” and the book Frida Kahlo: The Artist Who Painted Herself to write or speak more knowledgeably about what it takes to be an artist

 
 
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The Librarian Who Measured the Earth

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify the questions Eratosthenes asks throughout his life to determine the relationship between asking questions and making discoveries

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “The Earth as a Whole” and the book The Librarian Who Measured the Earth to recognize the connection between making observations and drawing conclusions

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Lon Po Po

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Compare the actions and motivations of the wolf with the actions and motivation of the girl named Shang in order to analyze the theme of Lon Po Po

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “A Tricky Monkey” and the book Lon Po Po to write and speak about the topic of deception

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670L
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Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and describe the problems faced by the refugees and Sugihara, Sugihara’s attempts to solve the problems, and the result of those attempts

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction reading passage “The Holocaust” and the non-fiction text Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story to discuss the Holocaust

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AD670L
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Snowflake Bentley

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe Bentley’s environment and his interactions with it to evaluate the impact a person’s environment can have on his life

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Cool Prize” and the book Snowflake Bentley to describe the importance of snowflake photography

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AD830L
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The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Compare a character’s words with his actions to make a judgment about that character

  • Paired Text Questions

    Compare information from the fiction passage “The Story of the Three Little Pigs” and the book The True Story of the Three Little Pigs to recognize how the portrayal of a character can differ between two versions of a story

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570L
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What's Your Angle, Pythagoras?

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify problems faced by the father of Pythagoras and other citizens of Samos, and how Pythagoras solved those problems; and then discuss the theme of problem solving and how math can be used to solve problems people face in their daily lives

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “The Scientific Method” and the book What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? to identify effective problem-solving techniques.

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4th Grade Units

Fourteen Cows for America

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe the most important actions taken by the members of the Maasai tribe in response to the story they are told, and explain why the Maasai took those actions

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction reading passage “Always Remember” and the non-fiction book 14 Cows for America to write and speak about 9/11 and how different people responded to that tragic event

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AD540L
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The Great Migration: Journey to the North

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Analyze the socio-historical vignettes throughout the book to make inferences about the significance of the Great Migration in the lives of contemporary African Americans

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Slavery in the North” and the book The Great Migration: Journey to the North to write or speak more knowledgeably about hardships faced by African Americans in the 19th and 20th centuries

 
730L
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Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify the actions Cesar Chavez took to help farmworkers, the results of those actions, and the historical significance of those results

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage "Honoring King" and the book Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez to be able to write and speak more knowledgeably about nonviolent protests

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800L
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John's Secret Dreams

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Use the prose and song lyrics in the book to identify John Lennon’s dreams and determine whether they were achieved

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Star Power” and the book John’s Secret Dreams to be able to write or speak more knowledgeably about celebrity philanthropy

 
 
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The Mangrove Tree

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and describe the problems faced by the people of the village of Hargigo, and what they did to attempt to solve the problems

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction reading passage “Bring in the Beavers!” and the non-fiction text The Mangrove Tree to answer and discuss questions related to the two texts

 
1190NC
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Naturally Wild Musicians: The Wondrous World of Animal Song

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify and explain the primary purposes of animal song in order to demonstrate understanding of the main ideas of the Introduction and Chapters 1-3

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Elephant Tales” and the book Naturally Wild Musicians: The Wondrous World of Animal Song to compare the nature and purpose of elephant sounds with the sounds of other animals

 
 
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Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify, compare, and contrast the characteristics and habitats of different birds species in order to discuss the main idea of the book Olivia's Birds: Saving the Gulf

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Can the Amazon Be Saved?” and the book Olivia’s Birds: Saving the Gulf to compare animal species and ecological concerns

 
880L
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Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Students will identify Clara’s main goal and the steps she takes to achieve it. Students will then discuss what traits make people successful at achieving their goals

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction reading passage "Debate: Better Late Than Never?" and the non-fiction text Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt to write or speak more knowledgeably about American slavery and its effects

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680L
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When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify the social barriers to Marian Anderson’s musical success and explain how she overcame those barriers in order to discuss the themes of the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Going to Bat—in Jackie’s Footsteps” and the book When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson to compare and contrast the challenges faced by Jackie Robinson and Marian Anderson

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780L
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A Wonder Book: Heroes and Monsters of Greek Mythology

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Identify what King Midas wanted and explain why he wanted it; and then describe what happened when he got his wish, particularly its physical and emotional effects, in order to discuss the themes of the story

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Analyze the chain of events that leads to the death of King Polydectes, in order to determine a theme of the story

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the stories “The Gorgon’s Head” and “The Golden Touch” to recognize a structural parallel between them

 
 
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5th Grade Units

Drawing from Memory

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Analyze the role of Noro Shinpei in the author’s life in order to understand and discuss a theme of the book

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Analyze the journeys in the author’s life to understand and discuss a theme of the book

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the fiction passage “I Break Stuff for a Living” and the book Drawing from Memory to discuss the relationship between a person’s passions and profession

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HL560L
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The Frog Scientist

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe the steps of the experiment that scientist Tyrone Hayes is conducting to determine the effect of the pesticide atrazine on frogs

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction reading passage “Frogs at Risk” and the non-fiction book The Frog Scientist to write or discuss the problems facing amphibian populations around the world and their possible causes

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950L
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The Heidelberg Project: A Street of Dreams

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Explain how Tyree Guyton uses common objects to create art installations that draw attention to specific social issues, such as homelessness, race, and violence

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the non-fiction passage “Not-So-Looney Toons” and the book The Heidelberg Project: A Street of Dreams to compare art and editorial cartoons, especially in respect to their functions

 
 
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The Quest for the Tree Kangaroo

  • Read-Aloud Lesson

    Describe Papua New Guinea and the tree kangaroo that lives there, and explain why the "quest for the tree kangaroo" may be important

  • Paired Text Questions

    Integrate information from the passage “The Koala Search” and the book Quest for the Tree Kangaroo to write or speak about the similarities between koalas and tree kangaroos, as well as between the scientists working to save the animals

 
830L
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