Page 2 - Kind News, May/June 2022, Teacher Guide

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

Third grade: NGSS 3-LS2-1. Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help
members survive. Core Competency: Social Awareness, Self-Awareness
To go with “The Secret Life of Fish”: Ask students what they thought of the article. Did they
know that some fish play and live in family groups? Were they surprised to learn this? Divide
students into small groups and ask them to brainstorm a list of animals they know live in
groups. For one of the animals they thought of, have them find articles or videos that discuss
how the animals interact within their group, such as obtaining food and defending themselves.
Have each group show their favorite finding with the class. Discuss how the behavior might help
group members survive. To extend the activity, students can fill out journal prompts reflecting on
the most surprising and interesting things they learned.

Fourth grade: 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.
To go with To the Rescue: “Porcupine Babies!”: After reading the article, ask students to vote on each quiz answer
(this can be an anonymous vote if you choose). Then go over the answers and share the background information in the
Answer Key for each. Ask students to choose an animal they don’t know much about, and research to find at least four
surprising facts about them. Once they have completed their research, ask them to create a True/False quiz similar to
one in the article. Challenge them to create questions with answers that are not easy to guess, and to create an answer
key that includes a 1-2 sentence background on each answer. Then have students swap quizzes with a partner or have
volunteers share their quizzes with the whole class. What facts were the most surprising? What did they notice about
how they had to craft the questions to make them challenging?

Fifth grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to
write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. CASEL Core Competency: Self-Awareness
To go with Pet Corner, “Anxiety in Cats” and Amazing World, “The Science of Puppy Love”: Ask students to reread the two
articles. What connections do they see between the science of anxiety and the information on how dogs can help people
feel better? If helpful, students could jot down their connections on paper or on virtual sticky notes in the articles. Ask
students to think about when they get anxious and what helps them feel better, then jot down their thoughts in the form
of a journal entry or reflection. Do they have pets or know animals or people who help them feel better? Why do they think
certain people and/ or animals have that effect on them? Once they have completed the activity, explain that self-
awareness is the ability to understand one’s emotions, thoughts, and values. Do they think the journal activity helped them
build self-awareness? Why or why not? For more on self-awareness and the core competencies of social-emotional
learning, visit casel.org.

Sixth grade: NGSS MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a
human impact on the environment. CASEL Core Competencies: Responsible Decision-Making, Social Awareness
To go with “The Secret Life of Fish”: After reading the article, ask students what they remember about what fish need to
be happy and healthy. Why might a fish’s natural habitat provide for their needs better than a fish tank? What could
happen if fish lose their ocean habitat? Then ask students to research what factors are affecting our oceans and what
people can do to help. If possible, show students videos from organizations working to save our oceans or have them work
alone or in small groups to find example organizations and learn about their work. Have students create a comic strip that
includes at least one cause, effect, and solution to the problem of ocean habitat loss. Ask students to swap their strips with
a partner to give feedback. Remind them to start on a positive note. To extend the
activity, students can participate in service-learning projects or create their own.

Helpful links: washedashore.org and oceanconservancy.org
To observe fish: Watch an ocean webcam from The National Park Service Where’s Raja?
at nps.gov/subjects/watchingwildlife/webcams.htm
Search YouTube for “The Animals Voice Presents: Fish” video RAJA IS HIDING ON PAGE 4!