Grade 3: Module 2 Unit 3 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 1 Freaky Frog Essay Prompt Directions: You have been researching a particular frog and how it is uniquely adapted to its environment. Using your research notes and the texts you read about your frog, you will write an informational essay. This piece will be part of the book you are creating. Other students will read your book to learn more about frogs and their adaptations. For this task, write an informational essay that describes your frog and at least two adaptations that help your frog to survive. In your piece, introduce the topic by describing what your frog looks like, its habitat, its predators, and its prey. Then describe at least two of your frog’s unique adaptations and how they help the frog survive. Clearly state your focus and use accurate and relevant facts, definitions, and details to explain what you discovered in your research. Clearly orga- nize your writing by using linking words to connect your ideas. Wrap up the piece with a concluding section. REMEMBER: A well-written informational piece: • Clearly states a focus and stays focused throughout the piece. • Uses accurate and relevant facts, definitions, and details to support the focus. • Clearly presents information that is easy to understand and engages the reader. • Follows the rules of writing (spelling, punctuation, and grammar). • Incorporates research from sources. Now, begin work on your informational piece. Manage your time care- fully so that you can: 1. Review the texts used in your research and your research notes. 2. Write your informational piece. 3. Use the Informational Writing Checklist to revise and edit your writing to be sure it meets all the criteria. 116 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 2 Poison Dart Frog Model The poison dart frog doesn’t actually fire poisonous darts! Native people used the frog to make poisonous blowpipe darts. That’s how it got its name. Poison dart frogs are quite small. Some can be as small as one inch long. They live in Central and South America in tropical forests. They eat ants and mites. Poison dart frogs have special physical and behavioral adaptations that help them to survive. There are a couple of physical adaptations that keep the poison dart frog safe. First, it has toxic skin. This means its skin is poisonous. The poison on its skin can paralyze or kill predators that touch it. The poisonous chemicals come from the food it eats, such as ants and mites, which contain toxins. Another physical feature of poison dart frogs is their brightly colored skin. Different kinds of poison dart frogs are different colors. For example, the strawberry poison dart frog is bright red. The Phyllobates terribillis is bright yellow. The bright color warns other creatures that the frog is poisonous. This deters predators from eating the frog. In addition to these physical adaptations, the poison dart frog also has a behavioral adaptation. The female poison dart frog lays eggs on a leaf. The leaf hides them from predators. Then she moves them to water once they hatch. Poison dart frogs have many ways to stay safe! The poison dart frog has the same predators and prey as other kinds of frogs, but it has special physical features and behaviors that help it survive. Who ever thought that something so beautiful could be so dangerous? Sources: DK Publishing, Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures, pages 16, 17, 46, and 47 EL Education, “The Poison Dart Frog” EL Education Curriculum 117 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 3 Informative Writing Checklist Name: _______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Standard Characteristics of an Characteristics of Yes? Effective Narrative Piece My Pourquoi Tale No? RI.3.1 The focus of my piece shows that I understand the topic or text. Evidence from the text helps the reader to clearly understand my focus. W.3.2a I state my focus clearly, and my writing stays focused. W.3.2a I have an introduction that gives the reader important information needed to understand the piece. W.3.2d I have a conclusion that restates the focus of the piece. W.3.2.a My information is grouped to explain a main idea. W.3.2.c I use linking words to connect ideas. 118 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 3 Standard Characteristics of an Characteristics of Yes? Effective Narrative Piece My Pourquoi Tale No? W.3.2b I use facts, definitions, and details from the text to explain my ideas. L.3.6 The words I use show that I am knowledgeable about this topic. W.3.4 My writing is appropriate for this L.3.3 purpose and audience. W.3.8 I list my sources. (partial) L.3.1 Words and sentences follow the rules of writing. L.3.2 Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation are correct. EL Education Curriculum 119 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 3 Language Dive Note-catcher: Focus Statement Name: _______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Poison dart frogs have special physical and behavioral adaptations that help them to survive. Sketch a special physical Sketch a special behavioral adaptation that helps them to adaptation that helps them to survive: the bright color that survive: the female laying eggs on deters predators. a leaf. I have school supplies that help me __________________________________. (verb phrase) __________________________________frogs have special physical and (Species) behavioral adaptations that _________________________________________. (verb phrase) 120 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 3 Informational Writing Planning Graphic Organizer W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.5, W.3.7, W.3.8 Name: _______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Focus Question: How are my frog’s adaptations unique? Focus Statement: Introduction Paragraph Proof Paragraph Describe your frog. Facts and Details Elaboration Details: What is my frog’s How does this help • What is my frog called? unique adaptation? the frog survive? • Where does it live? What is its habitat? • What does it look like? • What are its predators? • What is its prey? EL Education Curriculum 121 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 3 Concluding Statement Vocabulary from my research to be used: Restate your focus statement from the introduction. Details: • What is interesting about the way your frog survives? 122 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 6 Tracking Progress: Informative Writing Name: _______________________________________ Date: ____________________ Learning Target: I can write an informative text. Standards I’m Tracking: W.3.2 1. How am I doing? • For each criterion, self-assess by putting a check mark in the appropriate column. • Write the number of each standard on a sticky note or flag. Then on your own writing, place each sticky note in an area that shows evidence you have met the criterion. Make sure you have evidence for each criterion. • Strive to be honest with yourself. Remember, your ability grows with your effort, so it’s fine if you aren’t there yet! You will receive feedback on different colored sticky notes/flags and in a different colored pen on the checklist. Informative Writing Checklist: What Makes a Good Informative Piece? Standard Characteristics 4 3 2 1 of an Effective Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning Informative Piece RI.3.1 My piece shows that I understand the topic or text. Evidence from the text helps the reader to clearly understand my focus. W.3.2a I state my focus clearly and my writing stays fo- cused. W.3.2.a My information is grouped to explain a main idea. EL Education Curriculum 123 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 6 Informative Writing Checklist: What Makes a Good Informative Piece? Standard Characteristics 4 3 2 1 of an Effective Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning Informative Piece W.3.2a I have an introduction that gives the reader important information needed to understand the piece. W.3.2.c I use linking words to connect ideas. *W.3.2b I use facts, definitions, and details from the text to explain my ideas. W.3.2d I have a conclusion that reminds the reader of the focus of the piece. W.3.2a I use illustrations to help the reader understand information and ideas. L.3.6 The words I use show that I am knowledgeable about this topic. W.3.4 My writing is L.3.3 appropriate for this purpose and audience. W.3.8 I list my sources. (partial) L.3.1 My words and sentences follow the rules of writing. 124 Grade 3: Module 2: Unit 3: Lesson 6 Informative Writing Checklist: What Makes a Good Informative Piece? Standard Characteristics 4 3 2 1 of an Effective Advanced Proficient Developing Beginning Informative Piece L.3.2 The spelling, capitalization, and punctuation is correct. 2. How have I improved since I last worked on this skill? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Teacher Response: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How can I improve next time? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________