Unloved Animals Informational Writing Unit 5th Grade
Unloved Animals
Name: ________________________________________ Due Date: ____________________
Unloved Animals
Background: Animals are fascinating! It’s easy to spur off facts about our favorite animals- their adaptations, purpose, skills. But what about the unsung heroes? The less glamorous, arguably equally important animals in the world? Without the vulture, after all, the world would be a stinky, rotten place! Then again, some animals are just, plain disgusting! What animals have a bad rep, and what animals earned their reputation? We need your help to educate others on the unloved animals of the world.
Task- You will pick an animal with a “bad reputation” and research it- collecting facts and information, to write an informative essay on the animal.
Audience- Your teacher, principal, family and classmates.
Purpose- The goal of this task to conduct research on a misunderstood animal. You will use multiple credible resources to gather information on this animal. You will use the information collected to create an informative writing piece.
• W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
o Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
o Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
o Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
o Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
Procedures-
- Choose an unloved animal from the list and check in with teacher.
- Research your animal.
- Use index cards to create research cards containing the information you discover. Each index card should be one piece of information of the animal. Write the source (website, book and page number, magazine…) you found the information on the index card.
- After you’ve gathered research, check in with the teacher.
- Use your research cards to plan and draft an informative essay on your animal.
- As you draft your essay, be sure to use writing lesson strategies and Seymour Simon’s “Writing Exciting Nonfiction” strategies in your piece.
- Refer to your writer’s notebook for: introduction and conclusion ideas, transition words, and grammar and spelling help.
- Switch drafts with a partner to peer revise and edit.
- Either type your essay on Microsoft Word and hand write your essay on nice, neat paper.
- In your free time, try getting good at drawing your animal!
Animal Name: ________________________________________
| Focus | Organization | Word Choice | Sentence Fluency | Conventions | |
| 4 | Your writing is clear and focused on one topic. It shows that you know a great deal about your topic.You did not copy ideas from your sources, but took the information and wrote it in your own, original words. | Your writing has a clear topic and your introduction is attention grabbing. You grouped related information together..Writing flows with use of transitional phrases and sentences. You wrote a thoughtful conclusion. | You used specific words for your topic. Your vocabulary is advanced. | Your sentences are complete. You used a variety of sentence length and incorporated different types of sentences into your piece. | Your writing shows very few or no mistakes in grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. (1-3) |
| 3 | Your writing clearly expresses your knowledge and does not go off topic. | You wrote an introduction, paragraphs with details, and a conclusion. You grouped related details in the same paragraph. Writing may lack transitions to help in flow of ideas. | Your writing has some domain-specific words (words specific to your topic), but has a few words that are not specific. | Your sentences are complete. You used some different sentence length, but could use more variety, or different types of sentences. | Your writing shows several mistakes in grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. (4-8) |
| 2 | Your writing needs more details, or clearer explanation, and/or may have gone off topic. | Your writing needs an introduction, or conclusion, and/ or it needs to have similar details grouped together in the same paragraph. | Your writing contains some incomplete sentences. Your writing needs more domain-specific vocabulary. | There are some sentence fragments or run- on fragments. | Your writing shows many mistakes. These interfere with the readers’ understanding. (9-12) |
| 1 | Your writing needs to be clear, stay on topic, and/or show knowledge and details. It is evident that your writing was copied from the initial source. | Your writing needs to be organized into clear one-topic paragraphs and include an introduction and conclusion. | Your sentences need to be complete, and your writing needs to include domain-specific vocabulary. | There are many sentence fragments or run-on sentences. | Your writing is too difficult to understand because there are too many mistakes.(13- more) |
- Hyena
- Possum
- Honey badger
- Bat
- Stink Bug
- Shorkfin mako shark
- Mynamare snub-nosed monkey
- Blob fish
- Naked Mole rat
- Tarantula
- Frilled lizard
- Maggots
- Hippos
- Cockroach
- Skunk
- Llama
- Fly
- Sea cucumber
- California condor
- Aye- Aye
- Striated frog fish
- Goblin shark
- Proboscis monkey
- Philippine tarsier
- Baird tapir
Lesson 1- Pick a Topic
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
Objective: The students will select an animal to gather research.
Time: 3, 50 minutes classes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-Internet Research
-Credible sites
Instructional Materials:
-Animal Cards (Cards of each animal scattered around the classroom)
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-Index cards (at least 8/ student)
-Netbooks
- http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/animal-inquiry/
Procedures:
Invite students to a central area of the room. Show them the cover of the Seymour Simon book, Animals Nobody Loves.
Explain to the students that this month, the students will be focusing on love… or shall we say, the unloved.
Tell students they will be selecting an animal with a bad reputation, gathering research on this animal, and writing informational pieces teaching others of this animal. Their goal is to find out- Does this animal deserve their bad reputation.
Read selected pages from the book- the grizzly bear and devil ray.
After reading each page, ask the students, “What did we learn from this page?”
Tell students that they will be collecting similar information about their animals- their habitat, diet, special adaptations, size, etc.
Tell students: “There are animal cards placed around the classroom. You have two minutes to find an animal that you would like to research. You may only have one animal card in your hand at a time. If you decide to take another animal card, you must first put the animal card in your hand down. When the timer goes off, you must go back to your seat with your animal card.”
Give students time to find an animal.
Cue the students to go back to their seats with their cards.
Distribute Performance Tasks. Review with students.
Tell students their homework assignment is to talk to the library teacher about their topic. They should try to find books and magazines on their animal.
Day 2:
Tell students to get computers.
Distribute index cards.
Review credible websites.
They must write one fact on each index card. On the back of the index card, the student needs to write the source (where they found the information- book title, website, etc.)
Show teacher models of index cards.
Allow research time.
Conference with students.
Day 3:
Allow research time.
Conference with students.
Assessment:
Informal assessment
Index cards
Differentiation-
Lesson 2- Organize information
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Objective: The students will group their information logically.
Time: 50 minutes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-Writing
Instructional Materials:
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-Index cards (at least 8/ student)
-Netbooks
Procedures:
Invite students to a central area of the room. Show them the cover of the Seymour Simon book, Animals Nobody Loves.
Read selected pages from the book. Talk about the way that Seymour Simon organizes the information on the animal.
Get out teacher’s index cards. Model how to arrange and rearrange index cards on a desk. Tell students that before they start writing, they can plan what facts will come first and what facts will come last. Tell students that working this way will save them time. They won’t have to erase or change as much on their papers.
Give time for students to arrange their index cards. When they are set in their arrangement of facts, they should number their index cards.
Conference with individual students and groups.
Assessment:
Informal Assessment- conferences and index cards
Lesson 3- Write the first draft
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
o Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic..
Objective: The students will write their first draft.
Time: 50 minutes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-The writing process
Instructional Materials:
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-Index cards (at least 8/ student)
-Netbooks or Writer’s Notebooks
Procedures:
Invite students to a central area of the room. Show them the cover of the Seymour Simon book, Animals Nobody Loves.
Read selected pages from the book (man of war). Talk about the way that Seymour Simon uses comparisons to help explain unfamiliar ideas, complex concepts and impossibly large numbers.
Read selected pages from the book (the gila monster). Note the pronunciation key for the animal’s name (hee-lah). Tell students that nonfiction writers use pronunciation keys for proper nouns that are hard to read or may sound different than how they are spelled.
Give examples from teacher’s first draft (“The turkey vulture’s wingspan can be up to 5 feet 6 inches- that’s taller than most female adults!”)
Invite students to create their first drafts. Remind students that these are first drafts and first drafts change!
Individually conference with students. Review index cards and guide students as to what facts would be good to use comparisons. Talk to students who could use pronunciation keys- guide them into creating pronunciation keys.
Assessment:
Informal Assessment- conferences
Lesson 4- Write the Introduction
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
o Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic..
Objective: The students will revise their first drafts- focusing on their introduction.
Time: 50 minutes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-The writing process
Instructional Materials:
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-Introduction PowerPoint
-Netbooks or Writer’s Notebooks
Procedures:
Read the introduction to the book. Talk about the way Seymour Simon hooks his reader.
Tell students that good writers engage their reader before they begin sharing information.
Give students three strategies to try- 1. Ask an engaging question. 2. Use descriptive detail 3. Share a common idea, then your idea.
Show students the teacher model of the three strategies.
Encourage students to go back to their seats and try to write an introduction for their essay in three ways. They can pick their favorite way OR if they have a different introduction they would like to try, they can do that!
Individually conference with students.
Assessment:
Informal Assessment- conferences
Lesson 5- Precise Language
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
Objective: The students will revise their first drafts- focusing on precise language.
Time: 50 minutes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-The writing process
Instructional Materials:
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-“Turkey Vulture” teacher draft
-Introduction PowerPoint
-Netbooks or Writer’s Notebooks
Procedures:
Read selected pages from the book.
Ask students to discuss, “What words did we read that are specific to the animal?”
Create a list of domain specific words.
Ask students, “Are these words familiar? How do we know what these words mean?”
Encourage students to notice that for any unfamiliar words, Seymour Simon uses context clues to explain
Show students teacher example- “Raptors eat other animals, making them predators. Raptors have sharp talons, or claws, and hooked beaks. These adaptations help raptors catch and kill their prey. Turkey vultures are special raptors called scavengers. That means they eat carrion, or animals that are already dead, like roadkill. Their talons and beaks aid in ripping through the animal.”
Tell students to be sure they are adding vocabulary words that are specific to their animal. If the words they use may be unfamiliar to their audience, be sure to explain what the words means.
Individually conference with students.
Assessment:
Informal Assessment- conferences
Lesson 6- Writing Conclusions
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
Objective: The students will revise their first drafts- focusing on writing their conclusion.
Time: 50 minutes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-The writing process
Instructional Materials:
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-Conclusion PowerPoint
-Netbooks or Writer’s Notebooks
Procedures:
Read the conclusion to the book. Talk about the way Seymour Simon closes his ideas.
Tell students that sometimes, we finish our writing by saying “That’s the end, and I hope you like it. The End. Or, So that’s what I know about __________.” These conclusions leave the reader unfulfilled.
Give students three conclusion strategies to try-
Show students the teacher model of the three strategies.
Encourage students to go back to their seats and try to write a conclusion for their essay in three ways. They can pick their favorite way OR if they have a different conclusion they would like to try, they can do that!
Individually conference with students.
Assessment:
Informal Assessment- conferences
Lesson 7- Transition Sentences
Standard:
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
o Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
Objective: The students will revise their first drafts- focusing on transition sentences.
Time: 50 minutes
Prerequisite Knowledge:
-The writing process
-Transition words and phrases
Instructional Materials:
-Student copies of the unloved animal Performance Task and rubric (pgs. 1-3)
-Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
-Transition Sentence PowerPoint
-Netbooks or Writer’s Notebooks
Procedures:
Display the YouTube video of the changing colors.
Invite the students to a common meeting place by the Smart Board.
The students will likely be wondering why the Smart Board is displaying changing colors.
Talk about the changing colors- how they gradually change from blue, to light blue, to green, to light green, to yellow.
Tell students that just as the colors gradually change. Your writing should easily change from one idea to the next.
You can do this by not only adding transition phrases, but also adding transition sentences.
Show students the teacher example. First, the two paragraphs without a transition sentence.
Second, the two paragraphs with the transition sentence.
Show students the other two paragraphs about the classroom and cafeteria.
Encourage partners to create transition sentences.
Have partners share and add them to the board.
Tell students to pick two paragraphs from their first draft to try to connect with a transition sentence.
Individually conference with students.
Assessment:
Informal Assessment- conferences
Teacher's Copy for Mini Lessons
The Turkey Vulture- Nature’s Sanitation System
Mrs. LaScala
Have you ever seen a dead animal on the side of the road and wonder how the body will ever go away? Does it just disappear? Did you know that an animal aids in cleaning it up? The turkey vulture feeds off the dead and rotting bodies of animals, and is lovingly referred to as nature’s sanitation system.
Raptors eat other animals, making them predators. Raptors have sharp talons, or claws, and hooked beaks. These adaptations help raptors catch and kill their prey. Turkey vultures are special raptors called scavengers. That means they eat carrion, or animals that are already dead, like roadkill. Their talons and beaks aid in ripping through the animal.
Some people think that turkey vultures are ugly, but I think their ugliness is part of what makes them so fascinating! Because they eat dead animals, full of bacteria, the turkey vulture has a bald, featherless head.
Their featherless head is not the only thing that makes this bird unique. Turkey vultures are large birds. Their wingspan can be up to 5 ft. 6 inches. That’s taller than most female adults! You can commonly see turkey vultures soar through the air, catching wind currents to conserve energy. You can identify them by their V-shaped wings and by the way the wobble as they glide.
Turkey vultures have some odd and disgusting adaptations and defense mechanisms. When threatened, the turkey vulture vomits in front of its predator. The smell is repulsive enough for the predator to retreat. On hot days, when the animal needs to cool off, the turkey vulture will actually urinate on itself!
The turkey vulture is definitely a unique animal. Like it or not, without this disgusting creature, our world would be a more disgusting place!