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
Click on "Essay Booklet - 2nd/3rd" to download the PDF for free.
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
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
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.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
Reading: Literature (K-12)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
