Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Teaching Science with Kidlit: NGSS Performance Expectation 1-LS1-2

Okay, now that it’s January, we’re back at it. When I began this strand
back in early September, things looked pretty good for the Next Generation
Science Standards. What a different 4 months have made. These days, many states
are talking about adapting rather than adopting NGSS as written.

In some cases, I think that’s for the best. Some of the standards
intended for K and 1, in particular, will be challenging to accomplish in many
American classrooms. But because it’s still too early to tell what will go and
what will stay and how that might vary from state to state, I’m going to
continue making book and activity suggestions that align directly to the
standards as written. Chances are that they will still be directly applicable I
some states, and in states where significant changes occur, they can still be
informative. So here we go, starting right where we left off at the end of
2013.   

1-LS1-2.
Read texts and use media to determine
patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help
offspring survive.
[Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns of behaviors could
include the signals that offspring make (such as crying, cheeping, and other
vocalizations) and the responses of the parents (such as feeding, comforting,
and protecting the offspring).]

Here
are some book suggestions for addressing this PE:

What
Dads Can’t Do
by Douglas Wood

Little
Lost Bat by Sandra Markle 

What Moms Can’t Do by Douglas
Wood

A Mother’s Journey by Sandra Markle

The Emperor’s Egg by Martin
Jenkins

Do Kangaroos
Wear Seatbelts
? by Jane Kurtz

What
to Expect When You’re Expecting Joeys
by Bridget Heos

Activity 1

Search online for a
variety of short video clips that show young mammals, reptiles, fish, and/or
birds interacting with their parents. You could try the following keyword searches:
“alligator mother responding to hatchings,” “father penguin feeds its chick,”
“inside a Mexican free-tailed bat cave.” After sharing the videos with your
students, ask the following questions:

–How do the young
animal and parent in the video work together to help the
  youngster survive?

–How is the behavior
of the young animal(s) in the video similar to the behavior
   of a baby Mexican free-tailed bat
and/or an emperor penguin check?

–How is the behavior
of the parent(s) in the video similar to the behavior of a
  mother bat or the penguin parents?

Activity 2

Invite students to create a Mother’s
Day or Father’s Day card from a young bat, emperor penguin,
or
kangaroo
to its parent. On
the front, students can draw a picture showing one of the ways that parent
helps its young. On the inside, the children can write a thank you message describing
one way that the parent helps its young survive.

top 25 nonfiction blog award

Most Popular Posts

top 25 nonfiction blog award

Most Popular Posts

© 2001–[current-year] Melissa Stewart. All rights reserved. All materials on this site may be copied for classroom or library use but may not be reprinted or resold for commercial purposes. This website is COPPA compliant. If you are a child under age 13 and wish to contact Melissa Stewart, please use the email address of a teacher, librarian, or parent with that adult’s permission. Webhost Privacy Policy.