Page 2 - Kind News Teacher Guide, Nov/Dec 2021

COMMON CORE, NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS), AND CASEL-ALIGNED ACTIVITIES

Third grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences/ NGSS 3-LS1-1
Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth,
reproduction, and death. CASEL Core Competency: Social Awareness To go with “Magnificent Monarchs”: After
reading the article, briefly discuss the life cycle of a caterpillar/butterfly and its metamorphosis. Why are monarchs in
trouble right now? Ask students to write journal entries from the point of view of a monarch butterfly, touching on
each part of a monarch butterfly’s life, from hatching from an egg, living as a caterpillar, forming a chrysalis, emerging
and living as a butterfly, and migrating. If in a virtual setting, students could use digital tools with images or video,
such as Jamboard, Flipgrid or Canva, to tell their butterfly stories. To extend the activity, have them read their favorite
entries aloud in small groups or swap with a writing partner.

Fourth grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing
their own clearly. CASEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness To go with Humane Hero, “Drawing
Attention to Wildlife”: After reading the article, ask students whether they think Cameron had fun drawing his logos to
help wildlife. What in the article supports their answer? Then ask them to brainstorm things that they enjoy and are
good at. Give them five minutes to think of as many things as they can. Then ask them to work in pairs to identify one
talent they could use to help others. Here are some simple examples:
• Art: Create "affirmation" posters or seasonal cards with messages about being kind to animals and people. Search
“affirmation coloring pages kindness” in your favorite search engine for inspiration!
• Baking: Make dog treats for a local animal shelter. (Search “RedRover Reporters dog treats” for a simple recipe!)
• Playing sports: Join a walk/run to raise money for disease research.
• Writing: Write a letter to your representative about a cause you believe in, like protecting an
endangered species or climate change. Find your representative’s information by visiting house.gov/
representatives/find-your-representative.
To extend the activity, students who are able could do the activity and reflect in writing on how it went. How did it
make them feel? How do they think others who were involved felt?

Fifth grade: NGSS 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals,
decomposers, and the environment. / CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several
sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. CASEL Core Competency:
Responsible Decision-Making To go with Amazing World, “Magnificent Monarchs” and “To the Rescue: Bobcat Kittens”:
Ask students to read both articles and underline or highlight text portions that discuss how humans can help wildlife, both
what to do and what to avoid doing. What general ideas about helping wildlife do the two articles both mention, and what
portions of the texts support these ideas? Then ask students to choose one wild animal that needs help and research how
people can help it. Ask them to create a physical or virtual informational booklet that would give someone who is
completely unaware of the issue a solid understanding of it. Students should include:
• What is the problem that this animal is facing?
• What caused the problem? If time permits, have students share their
booklets in small groups, with their classmates,
• What can humans do (or avoid doing) to help? or with a younger class.
• How can humans raise awareness about this issue?

Sixth grade: NGSS MS-LS1-8. Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by
sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories. CASEL Core Competencies: Social
Awareness, Self-Awareness To go with “Playing to Learn” : After reading the article and the content about the science
of learning and completing the crossword puzzle, review how sensory receptors respond
to external stimuli and send messages to the brain. Discuss how this is related to learning.
Ask students why the brain seems to learn better with positive reinforcement. How does
that make sense given how the brain works? Then ask students to choose something they
know how to do well and train someone else — such as a younger sibling, neighbor, or
student in a younger class — to learn the skill using positive reinforcement and at least one
other technique mentioned. Then discuss how it went. Did their student successfully learn
what they taught them? Why do they think they did or didn’t? What would they add or
change to teach the skill to someone else next time? Where’s Raja?

RAJA IS HIDING ON PAGE 7!