THE  DESERT  TORTOISE:  TEACHER’S  PACKET

II. ACTIVITY LESSONS (alphabetical order) / STANDARDS MET

Below are the activity lessons with curriculum standards met by grade. Unless the entire assignment focuses on a particular standard, only grades with at least three or more standards met per lesson are posted here. However, many of the lessons will overlap for other grades and can be easily adjusted to accommodate your students’ interests and skill.

13 MOONS
Native American culture, the tortoise, reading, and art are combined in this activity based on the popular story, "Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back" by J. Bruchac and J. London. This activity has several additional components in Visual Arts that are not listed here.

3rd GRADE
LA-Literary Response and Analysis:
3.1-2         Distinguish common forms of literature; comprehend basic plots of folktales, legends from around the world.
3.4-5         Determine underlying theme or message in fiction; recognize similar sounds and rhythmic patterns in a selection.

History and Social Science:
3.2.1         Describe identities, religious beliefs, customs, and folklore traditions.
3.2.2         Discuss ways in which physical geography influenced local Indian nations adapted to the natural environment.

5th GRADE
LA- Reading:
1.5         Understand and explain figurative and metaphorical use of words in context.

History and Social Science:
5.1-2         Describe varied customs and folklore traditions.

AS A MATTER OF FACT
An exercise in determining if statements are fact, inference, or opinion.

5th GRADE
LA-Reading Comprehension:
2.4-5         Draw inferences, conclusions about text and support them with textual evidence or prior knowledge; distinguish facts, inferences and opinions in text.

INTERVIEW WITH A DESERT TORTOISE
Reading and comprehension, writing in the style of an interview.

3rd GRADE
LA-Written and Oral English Language Conventions:
1.1         Understand and use correct declarative, interrogative sentences in writing and speaking.
1.3         Identify and use past, present, and future verb tenses properly.

LA-Listening and Speaking:
1.1         Retell, paraphrase and explain what has been said by a speaker.
1.3         Respond to questions with appropriate elaborations.
1.11       Distinguish between the speaker's opinions and verifiable facts.

6th GRADE
LA-Writing:
1.1             Choose the form of writing that best suits intended purpose.
1.2a-b        Engage reader and state a clear purpose; develop the topic with supporting details.

7th GRADE
LA-Writing Applications:
2.1a-c         Write fictional or autobiographical narratives; develop a point of view; setting; use a range of appropriate strategies such as dialogue.

MEASURING the DESERT TORTOISE
An exercise in comparing and measuring items found in the classroom that match up to 10 inches in length to that of different tortoise ages and sizes.

1st GRADE
Measurement and Geometry:
1.1         Compare length or two or more objects by using direct comparison or a nonstandard unit.

2nd GRADE
Measurement and Geometry:
1.1         Measure the length of objects by repeating a nonstandard or standard unit.
1.3         Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch or centimeter.

3rd GRADE
Measurement and Geometry:
1.1         Choose appropriate tools and units, estimate and measure length of given objects.

MEASURING TORTOISE SPEED
Adding up measured distances.

1st GRADE
Measurement and Geometry:
1.1         Compare length or two or more objects by using direct comparison or a nonstandard unit.

2nd GRADE
Measurement and Geometry:
1.1         Measure the length of objects by repeating a nonstandard or standard unit.
1.3         Measure the length of an object to the nearest inch or centimeter.

3rd GRADE
Measurement and Geometry:
1.1         Choose appropriate tools and units, estimate and measure length of given objects.

MIXING IT UP WITH THE DESERT TORTOISE
Unscrambling a given series of words into correct sentences related to human impacts on the desert tortoise.

3rd GRADE
LA-Written and Oral English Language Conventions:
1.1-2         Understand and use complete and correct sentences; identify subjects, verbs in agreement and identify/use pronouns, adjectives correctly.
1.4            Identify and use subjects and verbs correctly.

4th GRADE
LA-Written and Oral English Language Conventions:
1.1            Use simple and compound sentences in writing and speaking.

TORTOISE!
Students follow oral directions; for kindergarten and first grade.

Kindergarten/1st GRADE
LA-Listening and Speaking Strategies:
1.1         Listen attentively.
1.3         Follow simple two-step directions.

TORTOISE ACROSTIC and ANAGRAM
Applying tortoise information in the forms of an acrostic poem or word anagram.

2nd GRADE
LA-Literary Response and Analysis:
3.4         Identify the use of rhythm and rhyme, and alliteration in poetry.

3rd GRADE
LA-Literary Response and Analysis:
3.1         Distinguish common forms of literature such as poetry.
3.4         Determine underlying message in poetry.

6th GRADE
LA-Writing:
1.2         Choose the form of writing that best suits intended purpose.
1.2a         Engage reader and state a clear purpose.

THE TORTOISE and THE HARE
Combines a brief reading with math skills practicing greater than/less than signs.

1st GRADE
Number Sense:
1.2         Compare and order whole numbers by using less than, equal to, or greater than (<, =, >) symbols.

2nd GRADE
Number Sense:
1.3         Compare and order whole numbers by using less than, equal to, or greater than (<, =, >) symbols.

Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability:
1.3         Identify features of data sets.

3rd GRADE
Algebra and Functions:
1.3         Support appropriate relational symbols to make an expression true.

Mathematical Reasoning:
2.3         Use a variety of symbols and tables to explain mathematical reasoning.

LIFE SCIENCE LAB: TORTOISE INVESTIGATION
Hands-on lab to determine water availability in wild tortoise food-plants-and how it relates to tortoise population in a particular area.

4th GRADE
Life Sciences:
2a-b         Students know plants are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains; students know producers/consumers are related in food chains and may compete for other

                resources in the ecosystem.
3a-c         Characterize ecosystems by the living components; plants/animals survive well, less well, or not at all in some environments; animals depend on plants for food and shelter.

Investigation and Experimentation:
6b-d         Measure and estimate the weight or volume of objects; formulate and justify predictions based on cause and effect; conduct multiple
                trials to test a prediction and draw conclusions; construct and interpret graphs from measurements.
6f             Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.

Mathematical Reasoning:
1.1-2         Analyze problems by identifying relationships between relevant information, sequencing, and observing patterns; determine when and how to break a problem into simpler parts.
2.1-3         Use estimation to verify reasonableness of calculated results; apply strategies from simpler problems to more complex ones; use a variety of methods to explain reasoning.
2.5-6         Indicate relative advantages of exact and approximate solutions and give answers to a specified degree of accuracy; make precise calculations and check the validity of results.
3.1-3         Evaluate the reasonableness of a solution; demonstrate conceptual understanding or derivation by solving a similar problem; develop generalizations of results and apply to other        

                  circumstances.

5th GRADE
Algebra and Functions:
1.2     Evaluate simple algebraic expressions in one variable by substitution.

Mathematical Reasoning:
1.1-2     Identify problems by analyzing relationships between relevance, sequencing, patterns; determine when and how to break a problem into smaller parts.
2.1     Use estimation to verify reasonableness of a calculated problem.
2.6     Make precise calculations and verify validity.
3.1     Evaluate the reasonableness of a solution.
3.3     Develop generalizations of results and apply to other circumstances.

Investigation and Experimentation:
6d-f     Identify dependent and controlled variables in an investigation; explain how variable can be used to collect information to answer questions within investigation; select appropriate tools and

            make quantitative observations.
6h-i     Draw conclusion from scientific evidence and indicate where further information is needed; write a complete report of investigation.

6th GRADE
Statistics, Data Analysis, and Probability:
3.2         Use data to estimate the probability of future events.

Mathematical Reasoning:
1.2-3        Justify reasoning based on general description of question or problem posed; determine when and how to break a problem into smaller parts.
3.1           Evaluate the reasonableness of a solution.
3.3           Develop generalizations of results and apply to other circumstances.

Ecology:
5a-c         Energy entering ecosystems including the transfer between organisms through food webs; matter transferred over time within

                 food web and the physical environment; populations of organisms can be categorized by their functions within an ecosystem.
5e             Students know the number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on available resources.

Investigation and Experimentation:
7b             Select appropriate tools and make quantitative observations.
7d-e         Communicate steps/results in written report; recognized whether evidence is consistent with a proposed explanation.

TORTOISE MATH
Seven addition and subtraction problems.

1st GRADE
Number Sense:
2.1-2         Know addition/subtraction facts; use inverse relationship between addition/subtraction to solve problems.
2.5-6         Show meaning of addition/subtraction; solve addition and subtraction problems with one and two digit numbers.

Algebra and Functions:
1.2         Understand the meaning of the symbols +, =, -

TORTOISE MATH CHALLENGE
Eight multi-answer word problems covering addition/subtraction series, multiplication, fractions, division, and building of simple equations.

3rd GRADE
Number Sense:
2.1-5        Find sum or difference of two whole numbers; memorize multiplication table for numbers between 1 and 10; use the inverse relationship of multiplication and division to compute and

                check results; solve simple problems using multiplication of multi-digit numbers by and/or divided by one-digit numbers;
2.8           Solve problems that require two or more of the skills mentioned above.
3.2           Add and subtract simple fractions.

Algebra and Functions:
1.1-4         Identify relationships in the form of mathematical expressions, equations, inequalities; solve problems involving numeric equations or inequalities; select appropriate operational and

                 relational symbols to make an expression true; express simple unit conversions in symbolic form.
2.1-2         Solve simple problems involving a functional relationship between two quantities; extend and recognize a linear pattern by its rules.

TORTOISE SCRAMBLE
Reading and comprehension word scramble on the topic of tortoise natural history.

3rd GRADE
LA-Word Analysis, fluency, and systematic vocabulary development:
1.2-3         Decode regular and multisyllabic words; read aloud narrative fluently.
1.6-8         Use sentence and word context to find the meaning of unknown words; use a dictionary; use knowledge of prefixes to determine word meaning.

LA-Reading and Comprehension:
2.3         Demonstrate comprehension by identifying answers in the text.

4th GRADE
LA-Word Analysis, fluency, and systematic vocabulary development:

1.1-4        Read aloud narrative fluently; apply knowledge of word origins, etc. to determine meaning of words/phrases; use knowledge of root words;     use common roots and affixes to analyze

                meaning of complex words.

LA-Reading and Comprehension:
2.1-3        Identify structure patterns in informational text to strengthen comprehension; use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes; make predictions about text by using  prior

                knowledge and ideas presented in text itself.

5th GRADE
LA-Word Analysis, fluency, and systematic vocabulary development:

1.1-4         Read aloud text fluently; use word origins to determine word
                 meaning; understand frequently used synonyms, antonyms; know abstract, roots, and affixes to analyze meaning of complex words.

WORTH REMEMBERING…
A tortoise twist on the classic memory game of Concentration, combined with the tortoise anatomy transparency and expanded as part lesson activity ideal for multi-station work for tortoise introductory information or review.

1st GRADE

Life Sciences:
2a-d         Students know animals inhabit different environments and have external features that help them thrive; animals need water, food; animals eat plants; infer what animals eat from the

                shapes of their teeth.

3rd GRADE
Life Sciences:
3a-e         Students know animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction; know samples of diverse life in   forms different environments such as deserts;

                living things cause changes in the environment in which they live, some are detrimental, some beneficial; when environment changes, some animals survive, other die or move to new        

                locations; some kinds of organisms that once lived on Earth resemble others alive today.