Watch a Video: Searching for Lost Species
Ask: Based on the video, what are some ways you could help animals in trouble?
Students will identify how scientists are working to find species that experts haven’t seen in the wild for many years.
Lesson Plan - Creature Comebacks
Learning Objective
Text Structure
Description, Problem/Solution
Content-Area Connections
Life Science
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, RI.4.4, RI.4.5, RI.4.6, RI.4.7, RI.4.8, RI.4.9, RI.4.10, L.4.4, SL.4.1
NGSS: Earth and Human Activity
TEKS: Science 4.9
1. Preparing to Read
Searching for Lost Species
Watch a video to learn more about how scientists look for missing animals.
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
- conservation
- extinct
Set a Purpose for Reading
Note the “As You Read” question. Have students consider why experts want to find missing species.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. What does the author mean when he or she writes that “researchers aren’t stopping there”? The author means that even though scientists have found eight of the long-lost animal species, they will keep looking for other species that are still missing.
(RI.4.4 DETERMINE MEANING)
2. What threats have the three animals described in the article faced? The Voeltzkow’s chameleon has faced habitat loss as people have cut down trees. The Fernandina giant tortoise has faced hunting by animals and humans. The silver-backed chevrotain has been hunted for meat.
(RI.4.9 INTEGRATE INFORMATION)
3. What is a camera trap, according to the article? A camera trap is a camera with sensors that trigger the camera to take photos when animals go by.
(RI.4.1 TEXT EVIDENCE)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Main Idea and Key Details
Use the Skill Builder “What’s the Main Idea?” to have students identify the main idea and key details of the article.
(RI.4.2 MAIN IDEA & DETAILS)
Text-to-Speech