Unit Overview: Read more about the unit and find all unit materials here on the Fishtank website

In this unit, students explore the relationship between living things and their environment and how the environment can both positively and negatively impact a species’ ability to survive. Using the Next Generation Science Standards as a guide, students will learn about different species, what they need for survival, their life cycle, and how they have adapted for survival. Then students will be challenged to create arguments that explain why some organisms are able to survive well, some survive less well, and others can’t survive at all in certain habitats. Through this unit, along with others in the sequence, students will use the scientific information they learn to think critically about the world around them. 

The Science of Living Things texts were chosen as mentor texts for this unit because the author, Bobbie Kalman, uses text features and clear language to clearly communicate complex concepts about the animal kingdom, life cycles, and animal adaptations. Over the course of the unit, students will deepen their understanding of how Bobbie Kalman uses text features to not only organize information, but to help a reader learn new information and facts about a subject. Students will also explore how graphic features, such as illustrations and diagrams, help readers learn and understand scientific ideas and concepts. 

Students continue sharing and elaborating on their own ideas when discussing the text and  building on their classmates' ideas, seeking to genuinely understand what their peers are saying by asking questions, adding on, or engaging in multiple exchanges. Students continue to build their writing fluency by writing daily in response to the Target Task question. Across the unit, students also have multiple opportunities to work on brainstorming and writing strong opinion and informational paragraphs, focusing on strong topic sentences, supporting details, and transitions. 

Unit Calendar:

Unit 4 is 34 instructional days. It is recommended to run from March 2nd - April 17th.