Non-fiction: Saving the Rain Forests Saving the Rain Forests Tim Flach/Getty Images The red-eyed tree frog lives in the rain forest. Tropical rain forests are in danger. For years, people have been cutting down trees to make room for farms and roads. Many plants and animals are in danger of becoming extinct, or completely gone. When rain forests are cut down, animals lose their homes, says Kerry Zobor. She works at the World Wildlife Fund. More carbon dioxide fills the air. Scientists think that makes Earth get warmer. If it gets too hot, it could cause many animals to go extinct. The World Wildlife Fund is a group working to protect animals and habitats. A habitat is a place in nature where an animal or a plant lives. We are working every day to help save rain forests around the world, says Zobor. Brent Stirton/Getty Images A large area of this rain forest has been destroyed. 1 Article: Copyright 2009 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved. Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Questions: Saving the Rain Forests Name: Date: Directions: Answer the following four questions based on the information in the passage. 1. Why are tropical rain forests in danger? 2. What happens when rain forests are cut down? 3. According on the passage, what is the World Wildlife Fund doing? 4. What is this passage mostly about? 1
Questions: Saving the Rain Forests Directions: Please read the sentence below and then write the word or phrase that best answers the questions. The first answer has been provided for you. When rain forests are cut down, some animals become endangered because their habitats are destroyed. What? some animals 5. (become) What? 6. When? 7. Why? 2
Questions: Saving the Rain Forests 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Rain forests are sometimes cut down people want to make room for farms and roads. A but B because C so Directions: Read the vocabulary word and definition below. Then answer questions 9 and 10. Vocabulary Word: habitat (hab i tat): an animal s home in nature. 9. Read the sentences below and underline all forms of the word habitat. a. At the zoo, the students learned that the natural habitat of the tiger is in swamps, grasslands, and rain forests. b. In Florida, the Everglades are a protected habitat for many different animals living there. c. Chipmunks blend into their natural forest habitat, so other animals can t see them. d. The child found the snake s habitat, a hole in the ground. e. Scientists are not the only people who can work to save animals habitats; you can help too by taking care of the environment where animals live. 10. In which habitat would you probably NOT find a fish? 3
Teacher Guide and Answer Key: Saving the Rain Forests Teacher Guide and Answer Key Passage Reading Level: Lexile 780 Featured Text Structure: Descriptive the writer explains, defines, or illustrates a concept or topic Passage Summary: The passage describes how tropical rain forests are in danger. Rain forests are being cut down and animals are losing their habitats. To the Teacher: Read the passage aloud to the class [TIP: while reading aloud, show the passage on a whiteboard or give each student a copy of the passage so they can follow along]. Then, use the text-dependent questions 1-8 to facilitate a whole class discussion to ensure students comprehend the key details from the passage. Finally, use questions 9-10 to deep teach one important vocabulary word [TIP: you can use the model provided for teaching additional vocabulary]. 1. Why are tropical rain forests in danger? [Important Detail] Suggested answer: Tropical rain forests are in danger because for years people have been cutting down trees to make room for farms and roads. [paragraph 1] 2. What happens when rain forests are cut down? [Important Detail] Suggested answer: When rain forests are cut down, animals lose their homes, and as a result, many plants and animals are now in danger of becoming extinct. Also, more carbon dioxide enters the air, making the Earth warmer. [paragraphs 1, 2] 3. According on the passage, what is the World Wildlife Fund doing? [Important Detail] Suggested answer: The World Wildlife Fund is a group working to protect animals and their habitats. The group works every day to help save rain forests around the world. [paragraph 3] 1
4. What is this passage mostly about? [Main Idea] Teacher Guide and Answer Key: Saving the Rain Forests Suggested answer: The article is mainly about how tropical rain forests are in danger. When rain forests are cut down, animals lose their habitats and are put in danger of extinction. Directions: Please read the sentence below and then write the word or phrase that best answers the questions. The first answer has been provided for you. When rain forests are cut down, some animals become endangered because their habitats are destroyed. What? some animals 5. (become) What? become endangered 6. When? when rain forests are cut down 7. Why? because their habitats are destroyed 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Rain forests are sometimes cut down people want to make room for farms and roads. A but B because C so To the Teacher: ReadWorks recommends that you teach this vocabulary word to the whole class out loud using the four steps listed below. Vocabulary Word: habitat (hab i tat): an animal s home in nature. Step 1: Introduce the word a. Teacher writes the word on the board and divides it into syllables: (hab i tat) b. Teacher says: This word is habitat. What is the word? [All students reply together out loud: Habitat. ] 2
Teacher Guide and Answer Key: Saving the Rain Forests Step 2: Provide a child-friendly definition a. Teacher says: Habitat means an animal s home in nature. b. Teacher says: The word habitat is used when talking about where animals live. In this passage, the author discusses how animals that live in the rain forest, their habitat, are in danger. c. Teacher says: What is the word? [All students reply together out loud: Habitat. ] Step 3: Practice the word Teacher provides examples and additional opportunities to repeat the word. Read the first sentence out loud to your students. Begin reading it again and when you come to the vocabulary word prompt students to say the vocabulary word out loud. Then, finish reading the sentence out loud to your students. Directions: Read the vocabulary word and definition below. Then answer questions 9 and 10. Vocabulary Word: habitat (hab i tat): an animal s home in nature. 9. Read the sentences below and underline all forms of the word habitat. a. At the zoo, the students learned that the natural habitat of the tiger is in swamps, grasslands, and rain forests. b. In Florida, the Everglades are a protected habitat for many different animals living there. c. Chipmunks blend into their natural forest habitat, so other animals can t see them. d. The child found the snake s habitat, a hole in the ground. e. Scientists are not the only people who can work to save animals habitats; you can help too by taking care of the environment where animals live. Step 4: Check for student understanding To the Teacher: This step can be completed as a whole class activity or as an independent practice. 10. In which habitat would you probably NOT find a fish? Suggested Additional Vocabulary: extinct, protect, carbon dioxide 3