CH AP TE R BOOK S CURRICULUM GUIDE ISBN 978-1-61893-184-9 hardcover ISBN 978-1-61893-185-6 hardcover ISBN 978-1-61893-432-1 paperback ISBN 978-1-61893-186-3 paperback Dive into the underwater world of sharks and travel back to the time of the dinosaurs with Animal Planet s exciting new series of nonfiction chapter books for readers ages 6 10! Sharks! highlights kid-favorite species Great Whites, Hammerheads, Makos, and more with a focus on behavior, senses, breeding, and feeding. Dinosaurs! profiles Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, and other popular dinosaurs with detailed chapters that illustrate the latest theories on how these creatures ate, slept, and lived. The Animal Planet Chapter Book series features narratives packed with fascinating facts and engaging full-color photographs. Meet the Scientists, In Your News Feed, and Fact File sidebars highlight interesting aspects of each creature and keep readers up to date on the current research. The Common Core State Standards addressed by the discussion questions, activities, and worksheets in this guide are noted throughout. For more information on the Common Core, visit corestandards.org. Next Generation Science Standards are also listed where applicable. For more information on NGSS, visit nextgenscience.org. All rights reserved.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS As a class, discuss what information the students already know about sharks. Then, read the chapter titles in the table of contents aloud. What new information about sharks might your class learn based on the chapter titles? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5 What did marine biologists do to discover more about how a shark s sense of smell is connected to finding its way around the ocean? What are denticles and how are they similar to teeth? CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.4; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 A shark can grow, lose, and regrow up to 50,000 teeth in its lifetime! What happens to all of these teeth lost by sharks? Who are the couch potatoes of the shark world? Why have they been given this nickname? What are the different ways that shark pups are born? Study the bar graph of shark life spans on page 65. List three true statements about the information presented in the graph. Use math language in your statements including: greater/less than, the difference between. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.7; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7 Marine biologists are always in search of more information about the creatures that live in the sea. Sometimes this search leads to a discovery of a new ocean animal. Read the In Your Newsfeed section on page 74. Describe the new shark that scientists discovered in December 2015. Sharks are constantly on the move in order to breathe and hunt. At times, sharks may use their bodies to communicate as well. Describe how white sharks and hammerhead sharks communicate with their bodies. Sharks are a significant part of a balanced ecosystem. Cite three reasons for the importance of sharks from the chapter entitled Why Sharks Matter. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.8; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.8; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.8
ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS Shark Snack Shack Sharks are carnivores. They eat a range of prey. Create a menu for sharks that reflects the different types of food they eat. Follow that Shark Mary Lee is a great white shark that has been tagged with a radio transmitter, who moves up and down the east coast of the United States. She was originally tagged by scientists off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Her radio signal has been found as far south as Florida. Follow Mary Lee s journey at this website: ocearch.org/profile/mary_lee/ And the Award Goes to... Sharks vary a great deal in size and shape from short to long and round to thin and in terms of their behavior. Create a list of different awards that recognize the uniqueness of the array of sharks: The Smallest Shark, The Fiercest Shark, The Trickiest Shark, etc. Which type of shark would win each award? Make a poster or create an awards show with students representing various shark species. Habitat, Sweet Habitat Sharks can be found in warm water and cold water, in salt water and sometimes freshwater. Select a shark habitat to investigate. Collect information about the biodiversity of the selected habitat. What lives in this habitat? How does the shark fit into the diversity there? Compile your findings into a written report to be shared with the class. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY. W.3.8; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.8; NGSS: 2-LS4-1; NGSS: 3-LS4-3 Super Sharks! Sharks are magnificent creatures, but did you know that they also have some super powers? Read chapter 2 to discover sharks unique electroreception, an incredibly strong sense of smell, exceptional eyesight, amazing hearing, and talented taste buds. If you could have any of the shark s super powers, which would you choose and why? Survey your classmates and graph the results. Which super power is the most desired? CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10; CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3 The discussion questions, activities, and worksheets in this guide were created by Leigh Courtney, Ph.D. She teaches in the Global Education program at a public elementary school in San Diego, California. She holds both master s and doctoral degrees in education, with an emphasis on curriculum and instruction.
NAME: SHARKS VERSUS OTHER FISH Though they both call the ocean home, sharks are built differently from other fish. Look at the information in chapter 1: What Makes a Shark a Shark? and use the facts discovered there to complete a Venn diagram comparing the similarities and contrasting the differences between sharks and other fish. Sharks Other Fish
NAME: STRANGE, BUT TRUE We may get a certain picture in our head when we think of a shark, but some species are unique. Look at the information in chapter 7: Ocean Oddballs to complete the chart below about some of the strangest sharks in the sea. Type of Shark Oddball Trait bamboo shark wobbegong frilled shark lantern shark goblin shark basking shark
NAME: MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER? There are many types of sharks swimming in our oceans. Scientists have organized families and species of sharks into eight different orders. Sharks in each order share similar features. Using the information on page 110 to guide you, connect each shark order with the species that belongs to it. ORDER SPECIES Carpetsharks great white shark Dogfish sharks Port Jackson shark Groundsharks lantern shark Frilled sharks and cowsharks wobbegong Mackerel sharks tiger shark Horn and Bullhead sharks sevengill shark ANSWERS: Carpetsharks: wobbegone; Dogfish sharks: lantern shark; Groundsharks: tiger shark; Frilled sharks and cowsharks: sevengill shark; Mackerel sharks: great white shark; Horn and Bullhead sharks: Port Jackson shark
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Read through the table of contents. Predict what information may be contained in this book about dinosaurs based on the chapter titles. What might the chapter called Gentle Giants be about, or Look! Up in the Sky!? Discuss your predictions as a class. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5 The Age of Dinosaurs ended almost 66 million years ago. How is it that we know about the types of dinosaurs that roamed the Earth so long ago? What does it mean for a dinosaur to evolve? What is the connection between the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs? Look at the information on page 13 and discuss what features make a dinosaur a dinosaur. What were the advantages of each feature? How did these features help them to survive? Read about near-raptors on pages 23 25. How were the near-raptors similar to the birds of today? One group of dinosaurs, the stegosaurs, were well equipped for battle. Even though they were slow-moving herbivores, they were not easy prey for their carnivorous foes. Describe some of the features that the stegosaurs had to protect themselves from those that wished to eat them. Read the Fact File on page 91. What is unique about this 1999 dinosaur discovery? How old was the amateur paleontologist who found the skeleton? Dinosaurs ranged in size from enormous to quite small. There was also a lot of variety in what different types of dinosaurs ate. Define the following diet-related terms: herbivore, carnivore, insectivore, piscivore, omnivore CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.4; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4 The discovery of dinosaur fossils helped to unlock the mystery of what dinosaurs looked like and what they ate. What discovery helped scientists better understand how dinosaurs were born? What happened to the dinosaurs remains a mystery. What could have caused their extinction? Discuss the theories scientists have proposed about the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. NGSS: 3-LS4-1; NGSS: 3-LS4-3
ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS The King of the Dinosaurs On a large piece of paper or poster board, sketch a T. rex. Using information found on pages 64 65, label your sketch to highlight the aspects of the T. rex that helped it to be the tyrant lizard king. Reread chapter 3 and add your five favorite T. rex facts to your poster. Dino Dentistry Dinosaurs teeth differed depending on what they liked to eat. Make a T-chart to compare the teeth of dinosaurs that were herbivores to those of carnivores. Graph It Using the information found on pages 12 13, design a bar graph to show the various lengths of dinosaurs. Make sure to label each axis and to include a title for your graph. Write three math statements about facts presented in the graph using terms such as mode, difference between, greater than/less than. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10; CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.3 Dino Dating Create an online profile for a dinosaur in search of a mate. What qualities would the dinosaur be seeking to find the perfect match to begin a family? Use the information about babies and families on pages 40 41 to guide you in creating your profile. Trading Cards Using the facts found in the book, make a set of eight trading cards about your favorite dinosaurs. On each card include the name of the dinosaur; a drawing of it; whether it s an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore; its size; any distinguishing physical characteristics; and one fun fact about that dinosaur. Share your cards with a partner. Did you pick the same dinosaurs to feature?
NAME: DINOSAUR DICTIONARY Design a mini-dictionary featuring entry words that are all about dinosaurs. Alphabetize the following terms associated with dinosaurs and create definitions for each: BROODING, PREDATOR, EXTINCT, COPROLITES, FORAGING, PALEONTOLOGIST, CARNIVORE, FOSSIL CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.4; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.4
NAME: SURVIVORS The Age of Dinosaurs came to an end 66 million years ago. Though the T. Rex and the Brachiosaurus no longer roam the Earth, some animals from the Age of Dinosaurs have survived and remain a part of the animal kingdom today. Using information found on pages 106 107, complete the chart below with information that shows why these animals are survivors. Animal Reason for Its Survival Alligator gar Nautilus Great white shark Tuatara Horseshoe crab Tadpole shrimp
NAME: MINING FOR TEXT FEATURES Dinosaurs! is an informative book about the Age of Dinosaurs that s chock full of facts, diagrams, captions, and other text features. Text features are all the components of a book, story, or article that are not the main body of text. Hunt through the book to find examples of the text features listed below. Record the page number where one of each of these text features are found and describe how each helps the reader to get the most out of the book. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5 Table of contents Photo caption Fact File Words in bold type In Your Newsfeed Dino Detail Index
INTRODUCING ANIMAL PLANET ADVENTURES Available February 2017 Ad ve nt ur es The Animal Planet Adventures chapter book series combines fun animal mysteries with cool nonfiction sidebars that relate directly to the stories. Perfect for reluctant, challenged, and newly fluent readers ages 6 10, these engaging animal stories will keep kids turning the pages as they work to solve each mystery. Dolphin Rescue By Catherine Nichols Siblings Maddie and Atticus love living off the coast of Maine. They enjoy helping with the family business trapping lobsters and volunteering at the local aquarium. The summer is shaping up to be a super one, for sure. Then one day they spy a pod of dolphins in the cove looking distressed. How will the kids use their knowledge of animals and their problem-solving skills to help the dolphin family get safely back to sea? ISBN 978-1-61893-169-6 hardcover ISBN 978-1-61893-417-8 paperback Farm Friends Escape! By Gail Herman During summer vacations, cousins Luke and Sarah help out at their grandparents petting zoo. They feed and care for the animals and love spending time with them. But what happens when the animals get loose overnight? Can Luke and Sarah figure out a way to bring the wandering critters back to the zoo? ISBN 978-1-61893-168-9 hardcover ISBN 978-1-61893-416-1 paperback Look for the next books in the Animal Planet Chapter Book series! BUGS! ISBN 978-1-68330-005-2 hardcover ISBN 978-1-68330-756-3 paperback SNAKES! ISBN 978-1-68330-004-5 hardcover ISBN 978-1-68330-755-6 paperback Available June 2017 2016 Discovery Communications, LLC. Animal Planet and logo are trademarks of Discovery Communications, LLC, used under license.