Page 2 - Kind News Teacher Guide, Nov/Dec 2022

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

Third grade: NGSS 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can
survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all. CASEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness,
Social Awareness
To go with Pet Corner and Curiosity Corner: After reading the articles, ask students to think about why domestic
bunnies and turkeys do not survive well in the wild. What survival instincts or abilities for wild bunnies and turkeys
did the articles mention? How do those instincts or abilities help them survive? Why do you think domestic animals
don’t have the same instincts or abilities? Think of another animal that can be both domesticated and wild, such as a
cat. What survival instincts or abilities does the wild animal have? What do humans provide when the animal is a pet?
To extend the activity, students could research domesticated animals of their choice, how they became
domesticated, and how their closest living wild relative survives in the wild.

Fourth grade: NGSS 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external
structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. CASEL Core Competencies:
Self-Awareness, Social Awareness
To go with To the Rescue, “Meet Betty”: After reading the article, ask students how Betty’s swallowing issue was
affecting her quality of life. How is a dog’s anatomy similar to that of humans? How is it different? If needed, allow
students time to research this question. Then ask them to brainstorm the needs of dogs and the needs of humans, and
compare them. Are there any needs that dogs have that humans don’t have, and vice versa? To close, take a class vote or
respond in a journal: Are we more similar to dogs than different, or are we more different than similar? Why?
For more on dog needs, check out the Pet Corner in these past issues at KindNews.org/archive!
• September/October 2021: Safe food for pets
• March/April 2021: What pets need in their environment to meet their needs
• May/June 2018: A cool summer

Fifth grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with
reasons and information; 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: Social Awareness
To go with To the Rescue, “Meet Betty”: After reading the story and Kind Question #1, ask students to expand upon
their top choice for hero in a journal entry. Why do they think that person or dog was the main hero? Do they think
animals can rescue humans? Why or why not? To extend the activity, ask students to research the connection between
the bond with a pet or other animal to a person’s mental and physical health, and find example stories to share with
the rest of the class. After hearing the stories, did their thoughts change? Why or why not?

Sixth grade: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound)
and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
To go with “Day of the Dog”: After reading the article, ask students what the overall themes of Día de Muertos are.
How does the holiday use symbolism, and what is the role of the xolo in that? Have them break up into groups and
think of a creative and interactive way, such as a skit or a game, to teach the holiday to someone who has never heard
of it. Ask them to involve the audience and try to incorporate as many visual, auditory, and hands-on elements as
possible to give the other students many different ways to learn. To extend the activity, groups could choose other
holidays from different countries to research and present. Aspects to research include:
• History of the holiday: How did it start, and how does it reflect the context of the time and place?
• Is the holiday based on a certain belief system? If so, which one?
• Are there symbolic aspects of the holiday (example: the decorative skulls used for the Day of the Dead)?
• Are animals involved? How?
On presentation day, devise a way for groups to get peer feedback, such as one thing that was very effective and one
way the presentation could be improved.