ELA Lesson: Animal Adaptation in Nonfiction
Lesson Plan
55 minutesGrades3English Language Arts
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Written by Cari Gallagher, Sustainable Jersey for Schools
About this lesson
Students read nonfiction texts about animals and climate and then compare them with a fiction book on the same topic.
Inquire: As a class, students listen to a nonfiction book about animal adaptation and climate and discuss the features of informational texts.
Investigate: Students independently read a different nonfiction book about animal adaptation and climate, take notes, and compare the information.
Inspire: Students create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast a nonfiction book and a fiction book about animal adaptation and climate.
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Suggestions
- This lesson can be taught in conjunction with an environmental science unit on weather, climate, or animals, or used to introduce research or writing units in ELA.
- Teachers can provide examples of other nonfiction books students have read during the year.
- In the Investigate section, each group of students can be assigned one book to read and then groups can present their notes about that book to the class.
- Depending on classroom context, each section can be extended to fit into one reading period.
Prerequisites
- This is lesson 2 of 3 in our 3rd grade ELA Unit: Animal Adaptation in Literary Genres.
- Teachers will need to obtain copies of the four books listed in the Inquire section along with the fiction book from the first lesson, Hot, Hot, Hot by Neal Layton. Alternatively, teachers can use other nonfiction books about animal adaptation and climate.
- Students should have a basic understanding of animals and their habitats and the concepts of weather versus climate.
- Students should understand the basic differences between fiction and nonfiction.
Differentiation
- Teachers can provide an audio version of the texts in the Investigate section for students who need more reading support.
- Higher-level students can work independently in the Investigate section and read and take notes on two books instead of one book.
- For higher-level students, an enrichment task is provided at the end of the Student Document for students to use a thesaurus to find synonyms/antonyms for the vocabulary words addressed.
From the scientist review
Students will learn how to extract climatic facts from nonfiction texts and compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction texts to learn about the impacts of climate change on animals and ways they can adapt. The lesson's content has been thoroughly checked and it passed our scientific validity procedure.
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About the teacher writers
Cari Gallagher
New Jersey State Lead
Dr. Cari Gallagher holds a B.A. in Elementary Education from Rider University, an M.A. in Education from The College of New Jersey, Educational Leadership certificates from NJExcel, and a Ph.D. in Teaching and Curriculum from National University. She is an elementary school teacher in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, with more than 25 years of experience teaching students in grades PreK–6. In addition to her work in K–12 education, Dr. Gallagher serves as an adjunct professor and student teacher supervisor in the School of Education at The College of New Jersey. She is committed to preparing future educators while fostering innovative, student-centered teaching practices. As the New Jersey State Lead for SubjectToClimate, Dr. Gallagher continues to advance environmental and climate literacy through interdisciplinary education initiatives and provides professional development across the state. Her scholarship and advocacy focus on integrating climate education across the curriculum to empower students as informed, engaged citizens. Dr. Gallagher's insight has been published in Climate Change Education Across Disciplines K–12, The Washington Post, Edutopia, the NJEA Review, and ProQuest. Cari enjoys being outside in her free time, watching her kids play sports, gardening, and cooking.
Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Sustainable Jersey is a network and movement of municipalities, schools and school districts working collectively to bring about a sustainable New Jersey. Acting with state agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, academia and industry, Sustainable Jersey researches best practices for what communities could and should do to contribute to a sustainable future.
