Biodiversity in the Coral Reefs
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Student Name: Class: Biodiversity in the Coral Reefs Expert Pack: Grades 9-10 Table of Contents Text #1: Coral Reefs (Video) ................................................................................................................... 12 Text #2: Top 25 Coral Reef Facts (Informational Text) ................................................................. 13 Text #3: Coral Polyps—Tiny Builders (Scientific Diagram and Informational Text) ........... 18 Text #4: Corals Dine on Microplastics (Informational Text) ...................................................... 20 Text #5: Coral Reef Biodiversity (Informational Text) .................................................................... 24 Text #6: Coral and Coral Reefs (Scientific Article) .......................................................................... 27 Text #7: Bizzare and Beautiful Coral Reef Animals (Website) .................................................... 39 Text #8: The Great Barrier Reef Food Chain (Diagram) ................................................................ 40 Text #9: Why Are Coral Reefs Important (Informational Article) .............................................. 42 Text #10: Status of and Threat to Coral Reefs (Informational Article) .................................... 46 Text #11: Crabs Play Defense, Save Corals (News Article) .......................................................... 54 Text #12: What You Can Do (Informational Article) ...................................................................... 58 Extended Reading, Text 1: Threatened Coral Get Fishy Rescue (News Article) ................... 64 Extended Reading, Text 2: BBC Great Barrier Reef: Nature’s Miracle (Documentary) ........ 67 Appendices………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….68 Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Table of Contents lists of the texts in order of their suggested reading, including text complexity information and a brief synopsis of the text. A note on complexity analysis: The expert packs were created using both quantitative and qualitative considerations. The Reading Maturity Metric was used to calculate the quantitative analysis, including the CCSS grade band ratings. The CCSO rubric for informational texts was used to conduct the qualitative assessments and ratings align to the CCSSO rubric. Reading Maturity Metric: http://www.readingmaturity.com/rmm-web/#/ CCSSO Rubric: included at the end of the Table of Contents Text Complexity Information Brief Synopsis Quantitative: N/A Video A beautiful Text 1: Coral Reefs introduction to Qualitative: some basic facts Author: National about reef Geographic Purpose: Slightly complex. One clear purpose for this text, structure and Explicitly stated. environment. Genre: Informational VIDEO Structure: Very. Information presented very quickly, Cost/Access: $0.00 images occasionally essential in order to make meaning Link: Language: Moderately Complex... Mostly contemporary, http://video.nationalgeogra contains some Tier 3 academic language phic.com/video/coral-reefs Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex... The video provides ample information and can be approached without domain-specific knowledge. Text 2: Top 25 Coral Reef Quantitative: 25 clear facts Facts RMM 8.7 about the coral CCSS: 6-10 reef: their make- Author: Conserve Every Dale Chall: 10.1 up and their Future Flesch-Kincaid 7.7 impact on humans and their Genre: Informational Article Qualitative: ocean Purpose: Slightly complex. Explicitly stated in the title and environment. Cost/Access: $0.00 the content. Link: Structure: Slightly complex... Short paragraphs make the Page 3 http://www.conserve- text accessible, and labeled facts support ease of energy-future.com/top-25- navigation coral-reef-facts.php Language: Very Complex. Where discipline-specific word are used, they are often not able to be determined in context Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex... Some discipline-specific knowledge would support comprehension, but not necessarily limit it. Text 3: Coral Polyps – Diagram of a Tiny Builders Quantitative: N/A polyp, RMM: 8.1 accompanied by Author: Coral reef Alliance CCSS: 6-8 a description of Dale Chall: 10.74 the structure and Genre: Scientific Diagram Flesch-Kincaid 10.7 habits of the and Informational polyp, including Description Qualitative: the source of its Purpose: Explicit beautiful colors. Cost/Access: $0.00 Structure: Very Complex... Graphics essential to Link: understanding the content http://coral.org/coral-reefs- 101/coral-reef- Language: Very Complex... Diagram labeled with technical ecology/coral-polyps/ names of polyp structure, though accompanying article directly supports comprehension Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex... Text provides new knowledge; prior knowledge would support understanding. Text 4: Corals Dine on Quantitative: A new scientific Microplastics RMM 8.2 study show the CCSS 6-8 polyps on the Author: Alison Pearce Dale Chall 10.34 coral reef eating Stevens Flesch-Kincaid 7.6 plastic at the “Corals Dine On Microplastics” same rate as Genre: Informational news other food in the Article Qualitative: water, raising concerns about Cost/Access: $0.00 Purpose: Moderately Complex... While the topic is explicit, the long term the text contains a wide-ranging amount of information, health and Link: indicating multiple purposes, including conservation, growth of the https://student.societyforsci scientific research, and offerings of counter claims. reef. ence.org/article/corals- Page 4 dine-microplastics Structure: Moderately Complex. Subheading support organization and connections between concepts are complex but relatively explicit Language: Very Complex. Language is contemporary, but text contains occasional discipline specific Tier 3 vocabulary Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex. Practical knowledge is sufficient but some domain-specific knowledge is helpful; implied references to other studies Text 5: Coral Reef Quantitative: An explanation of Biodiversity biodiversity, with RMM: 9.7 examples from Author: Coral Reef Alliance CCSS: 9-12 the reef. Dale Chall: 11.19 Genre: Informational Article Flesch-Kincaid 12.1 Cost/Access: $0.00 Qualitative: Link: Purpose: Moderately Complex... Easily determined with http://coral.org/coral-reefs- careful reading. 101/coral-reef- ecology/coral-reef- Structure: Moderately Complex. Semi-explicit connections biodiversity/ between ideas; no subheadings or graphics to support connections Language: Moderately Complex. Some strong academic language, as well as domain-specific words necessary to comprehension Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex. Some discipline-specific knowledge would support comprehension. Text 6: Coral and Coral Quantitative: A detailed look at Reefs the make-up, RMM: 9.3 reproduction, Author: The Ocean Portal CCSS 6-10 and threats to Team; reviewed by Nancy Dale Chall: 10.9 coral reefs. Knowlton, Smithsonian Flesch-Kincaid: 10.5 Genre: Scientific Article Qualitative: Page 5 Cost/Access: $0.00 Purpose: Slightly Complex... Explicit purpose of informing about coral reefs. Link: http://ocean.si.edu/corals- Structure: Moderately Complex. Text features and and-coral-reefs graphics support but are not essential to understanding; somewhat complex organization supported by subheadings. Language: Very Complex. Wide range of Tier 2 and domain-specific vocabulary, some of which cannot be inferred from context. Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex. Some discipline-specific knowledge would support comprehension, but not necessarily limit it. Text 7: Bizarre and Quantitative: Website of Beautiful Coral Reef photographs and Animals RMM: 9.6 descriptions of CCSS: 9-10 the various Author: The Smithsonian Dale Chall: 11.02 animals that live Ocean Initiative Flesch-Kincaid 12 on the reef. Genre: Website with text and Qualitative: Slideshow graphics includes links to Purpose: Slightly Complex... Explicit. other information Cost/Access: $0.00 about coral reefs Structure: Very Complex Feature and graphics essential to – students should Link: understanding the accompanying text. feel free to http://ocean.si.edu/slidesho explore these w/bizarre-and-beautiful- Language: Very Complex. Includes Latin terms and links as well! coral-reef-animals references to specific geographical locations, though sentences structure is clear and accessible. Knowledge Demands: Moderately Complex. Some discipline-specific knowledge would support comprehension, but not necessarily limit it. Page 6 Text 8: The Great Barrier Quantitative: N/A Diagram of the Reef Food Chain food chain of the Qualitative: Great Barrier Reef Author: Purpose: Slightly Complex. Explicit GreatBarrierReef.co,.au Structure: Very Complex. Graphics essential to Genre: Diagram understanding the content Cost/Access: $0.00 Language: Moderately Complex. Animal names should be more familiar after exploring previous website Link: http://www.greatbarrierreef. Knowledge Demands: Very Complex. Knowledge of food com.au/information/great- chains, and biodiversity, important to understanding the barrier-reef-food-web/ food chain. Text 9: Why Are Coral Quantitative: Students learn, Reefs Important? RMM 10.6 briefly, why the CCSS: 9-12 coral reefs are so Author: Jessica Carilli Dale Chall: 12.5 important to Flesch Kincaid: 19.9 humans and to Genre: Informational Article the earth. Qualitative: Cost/Access: 0.00 Sentence length Purpose: Slightly Complex. The purpose is clearly stated and vocabulary http://coralreefsystems.org/c in the title and all information supports the stated may inhibit ontent/value-corals purpose readers, but