Animal adaptations

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 4

• Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
  • Objective 1.04: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
    • wide reading.
    • word study.
    • knowledge of homophones, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms.
    • knowledge of multiple meanings of words.
    • writing process elements.
    • writing as a tool for learning.
    • seminars.
    • book clubs.
    • discussions.
    • examining the author's craft.
• Goal 3: The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
  • Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
• Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
  • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
    • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner.
    • discuss.
    • interview.
    • solve problems.
    • make decisions.

Grade 5

• Goal 1: The learner will apply enabling strategies and skills to read and write.
  • Objective 1.03: Increase reading and writing vocabulary through:
    • wide reading.
    • word study.
    • word reference materials.
    • content area study.
    • writing process elements.
    • writing as a tool.
    • debate.
    • discussions.
    • seminars.
    • examining the author's craft.
• Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
  • Objective 3.06: Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources for assigned or self-selected projects (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
• Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
  • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
    • formulate hypotheses.
    • evaluate information and ideas.
    • present and support arguments.
    • influence the thinking of others.

Science (2005)

Grade 4

• Goal 1: The learner will make observations and conduct investigations to build an understanding of animal behavior and adaptation.
  • Objective 1.01: Observe and describe how all living and nonliving things affect the life of a particular animal including:
    • Other animals.
    • Plants.
    • Weather.
    • Climate.
  • Objective 1.02: Observe and record how animals of the same kind differ in some of their characteristics and discuss possible advantages and disadvantages of this variation.
  • Objective 1.03: Observe and discuss how behaviors and body structures help animals survive in a particular habitat.
  • Objective 1.04: Explain and discuss how humans and other animals can adapt their behavior to live in changing habitats.

Grade 5

• Goal 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.
  • Objective 1.01: Describe and compare several common ecosystems (communities of organisms and their interaction with the environment).
  • Objective 1.02: Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem:
    • Producers.
    • Consumers.
    • Decomposers.
  • Objective 1.03: Explain why an ecosystem can support a variety of organisms.
  • Objective 1.04: Discuss and determine the role of light, temperature, and soil composition in an ecosystem's capacity to support life.
  • Objective 1.05: Determine the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem.
  • Objective 1.06: Explain and evaluate some ways that humans affect ecosystems.
    • Habitat reduction due to development.
    • Pollutants.
    • Increased nutrients.