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Life Science

710L

Portraits from the Photo Ark

Joel Sartore: Photographer

A WorldWorth Saving

joel sartore On Assignment with

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Teacher’s Guide

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Contents

On Assignment with Joel Sartore

Literacy Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Science Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

A World Worth Saving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Joel Sartore: Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Portraits from the Photo Ark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Discuss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Research & Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Correlation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Glossary

ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE cONTENTS ©

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Literacy Overview

CONTENT GOALStudents will read three selections in On Assignment with Joel Sartore . They will be introduced to the concept of biodiversity and the importance of protecting the variety of species on Earth, as they learn about the work of Joel Sartore and about some of the species he has photographed .

COMPREHENSION GOALRemind students that as thinking-intensive readers they must listen to their inner voice to monitor and repair comprehension as they read . Find opportunities to model and teach active thinking strategies to help students access content . You may want to focus on the following strategies for On Assignment with Joel Sartore .

• Infer and Visualize: A writer doesn’t always tell everything . Readers have to use their background knowledge and pay attention to the text and picture clues to make inferences and visualize to construct meaning .

• Summarize and Synthesize: Readers synthesize and summarize information to see the bigger picture . They piece together the parts to come up with the whole . They integrate new information with what they already know to get a more complete understanding of the ideas in the text .

Reading Selections• A World Worth Saving (opinion piece)

• Joel Sartore: Photographer (profile)

• Portraits from the Photo Ark (photo essay)

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

CC.3.RInfo.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CC.3.RInfo.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

CC.3.RInfo.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.

CC.3.RInfo.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.

CC.3.RInfo.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

CC.3.RInfo.8 Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

Writing Standards (page 15)

2ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE LITERAcy OvERvIEW ©

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ACTIVATE & BUILD BACKGROUNDDraw the graphic organizer shown above . Ask: How do living things depend on one another? Write students’ responses in the graphic organizer .

Model for students by thinking aloud . You might say something similar to the following: There are many kinds of living things, including people, or human beings. People depend on other living things for food. Today I’m having an apple and some cheese and crackers for lunch. So for this one meal, I depend on apple trees, cows (for the cheese made from milk), and wheat plants (for the crackers made from wheat flour).

Explain that many kinds of living things depend on one another for food, but this is only one way living things depend on one another . You might say: Living things also depend on one another to provide water and shelter. For example, a pig-like animal called a javelina often gets water in the driest parts of Texas by eating parts of prickly pear cactus. And you have probably seen how birds and squirrels use trees for shelter, either by living in tree holes or using twigs to build nests. Living things depend on one another in all sorts of ways.

Ask students to Turn and Talk about other examples of how living things depend on one another .

Students can then Share what they think they know or have read about how living things help one another or depend on one another for survival .

You may want to return to the graphic organizer to add more information after students read each selection .

BUILD SCIENCE BACKGROUNDPages 4–6 of this teacher’s guide address how certain science concepts relate to each selection in On Assignment with Joel Sartore. This information will provide you with science background knowledge as you plan your teaching for this book .

Help students access background knowledge related to the science concepts . Support the concepts of biodiversity, endangered, and species in ways that are familiar to your students .

• biodiversity: Lead a discussion about local biodiversity . You might ask something similar to the following: Which area would likely have greater biodiversity—a farm with a single crop of corn or a forest the same size with many different trees and other plants?

• endangered: Ask students how the parts of the word endangered provide clues about the meaning (to be in danger, such as in danger of dying out) .

• species: Show pictures of different species, including different species of related animals, such as a black bear, grizzly bear, and polar bear . Point out that these are different kinds, or species, of bears .

How do living things depend on one

another?

The NG Ladders on-level eBook for On Assignment with Joel Sartore is available in .pdf format. Project the eBook on your interactive whiteboard, or have students listen to or read it on tablets or other mobile devices.

3ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE LITERAcy OvERvIEW ©

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Science concepts are a critical part of each selection in On Assignment with Joel Sartore . These science background pages will help you build content knowledge so that you may more effectively have discussions with students as they read each selection in the book .

The following big idea science concepts apply to several selections in the book .

• Currently, scientists have identified more than 7 million species (student book, pp . 3, 12), or kinds of living things, on Earth . However, biologists think many millions more species are yet to be discovered . For example, about 2,000 plant species are discovered each year . Many new animals including insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals are discovered each year, too .

• Biodiversity, (student book, pp . 3, 18) short for “biological diversity,” is the variety of living things . Biodiversity can be used to describe the species richness of any area—from a tidal pool the size of a bathtub, to a stretch of shoreline, to an entire ocean, to Earth as a whole . Conserving global biodiversity is of particular concern .

• Some species are classified as endangered (student book, pp . 12, 21), meaning they are at risk of dying out, or becoming extinct . Once a species is extinct, it is lost forever . An important way to protect an endangered species is to protect its habitat, or the place where the species lives and gets the resources it needs to survive . Increased public awareness and education are critical in supporting these efforts to conserve biodiversity .

Pages 5–6 in this teacher’s guide describe how the science concepts above relate to each selection . Additional science background information is given for each selection .

Science Background

A FRAMEWORK FOR K–12 SCIENCE EDUCATION

Core Idea LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes LS1.D: Information Processing How do organisms detect, process, and use information about the environment?

Core Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics How and why do organisms interact with their environment and what are the effects of these interactions?

Core Idea LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans What is biodiversity, how do humans affect it, and how does it affect humans?

4ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE ScIENcE BAcKGROUND ©

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A WORLD WORTH SAVINGStudent Book, pp . 2–9Teacher’s Guide, pp . 7–8

In this selection, students will learn about biodiversity (student book, p . 3) and how protecting it is important to the survival of all species (student book, p . 3) . Students will also learn that Joel Sartore photographs as many species as he can to try to raise public awareness about biodiversity .

Many human activities, such as construction projects and the operation of factories, destroy or pollute habitats, which in turn adversely affect the species on our planet . According to scientists, at least half of all the animals on Earth may be at risk of dying out by the year 2100 .

Protecting plant species is critical to the survival of all species . Animals need oxygen; plants produce oxygen . Animals need food; plants are a food source . Plants are also a source of life-saving medicines, and they help stabilize climate patterns .

Protecting animal species is equally as important . Animal and plant species within every ecosystem depend on and interact with one another . For example, birds eat insects that might otherwise destroy crops . Insects spread pollen from plant to plant, destroy harmful insects, and help break down dead organisms, returning nutrients to the environment .

Some animals, such as mussels and oysters, are sensitive to toxins, or poisons, in water . To scientists, the health of these organisms can serve as indicators of water polution .

Joel feels that as more people see and appreciate the species he has photographed, more people will care about what happens to these living things and support the conservation of Earth’s amazing biodiversity .

JOEL SARTORE: PHOTOGRAPHERStudent Book, pp . 10–17Teacher’s Guide, pp . 9–10

In this selection, students will learn how Joel Sartore became a wildlife photographer and how he began his project, the “Photo Ark .”

Joel’s Photo Ark is a personal project that consists of animal portraits . To date, he has photographed almost 3,000 species (student book, p . 12) of animals, many of which are endangered (student book, p . 12) .

Most people use the terms threatened and endangered to describe a species whose population is declining . However, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), established in 1948, defines these and other terms more precisely . The IUCN maintains a Red List of Threatened Species based on the following seven levels of conservation .

• Least Concern—a species whose population is abundant and widespread

• Near Threatened—a species that will probably become threatened in the near future

• Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered—three categories that define how threatened a species is; the category depends on five criteria: (1) how quickly the population is declining, (2) geographic range, (3) population size, (4) combination of population and area it occupies, and (5) probability of extinction

• Extinct in the Wild—a species that no longer survives in its native habitat; animal species that are extinct in the wild survive only in captivity; plant species survive only in cultivation

• Extinct—the last individual of a species is known to have died

Conservation efforts have resulted in the downgrading of many species from endangered or critically endangered status to less threatened levels .


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PORTRAITS FROM THE PHOTO ARKStudent Book, pp . 18–31Teacher’s Guide, pp . 11–12

In this selection, students will learn about a few of Earth’s many species up close and personal as they view some of Joel’s animal portraits .

The photos help to illustrate Earth’s biodiversity (student book, p . 18) and remind people about the importance of protecting all species, whether they are endangered (student book, p . 21) or not .

As students look closely at the animal portraits, you might want to ask them questions such as the following:

1 . What feature stands out to you most in each animal portrait?

2 . How do you think that particular feature helps the animal survive?

Here are some facts that you might want to share about the animals shown on the last two pages of the selection:

• Madagascar ibis: About 10,000 of these magnificent birds nest in the forests of Madagascar—an island off the southeastern coast of Africa . But their numbers are declining from overhunting and forest destruction .

• Horned frog: This grumpy-looking amphibian from the Amazon region of South America grows to be the size of a lunch plate . Its big mouth matches its big appetite, earning the nickname “Pac Man frog .”

• African Moon Moth: Male moths have antennae that are thicker and more strongly feathered than the female moths’ antennae .

• Eyelash viper: This poisonous snake from Central America may be yellow, green, or pink . It gets its name from the two or three long scales above its eyes, which look like eyelashes .

• Woodland caribou: Both male and female caribou grow antlers—the only member of the deer family to do so .

• Bearded dragon: This Australian reptile fans out the skin around its throat when it feels threatened .

• Hippopotamus: This grass-eating African mammal can weigh up to 3,629 kg (8,000 lbs) . It spends most of its day cooling off in rivers and lakes, with its eyes and nostrils peeking above the water .

• Horseshoe crab: Special cells produced by horseshoe crabs are used to test surgical drugs and devices for contamination from bacteria .

• Asian flower beetle: This metallic green insect is one of nearly 3,200 species of flower beetles, which feed mostly on the pollen produced in flowers .

• Gang-gang cockatoo: This bird lives in the woodlands of southeastern Australia . Males have a red head while females are gray .

• Fossas: This endangered mammal from Madagascar looks like a cat, but it’s actually related to the mongoose . A fossa’s long tail is useful for maneuvering along tree branches in the forests .


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Summary “A World Worth Saving” is an opinion piece in which the author, Joel Sartore, explains biodiversity and why he believes it is important to save all of Earth’s plants and animals . He explains the interrelationships of plants and animals, why he is taking animal portraits, and what readers can do to help save plants and animals .

BUILD BACKGROUND FOR THE GENREAsk students what they think an opinion is . Have them turn and talk to share their ideas . Tell them that the selection they will read, “A World Worth Saving,” is an opinion piece with the following elements:

• The writer presents facts about a topic in an organized way and states an opinion, or what he thinks and feels about the topic .

• The writer presents reasons, evidence, or personal experiences to support his opinion .

• The writer emphasizes his opinion in a conclusion .

BUILD VOCABULARY & CONCEPTS• species • biodiversity

Remind students that Using Context Clues is a strategy to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word . They can “read around” the word, or read a few sentences before and after it, to determine meaning from the context . Remind them to look at the photographs, too .

Another strategy to try is Becoming Wordkeepers. Invite students to discuss and share what they know about what a zookeeper does . Explain that a wordkeeper takes care of words instead of animals . Ask students to turn to page 3 and find the word species . Write species on a card . Then have students practice saying the word aloud with you . Ask for a volunteer to be the wordkeeper . Explain that the wordkeeper is responsible for knowing the meaning, part of speech, and correct spelling of the word . Read the meaning of the word as given on page 3 (kinds of living things) . Write the meaning on the card and give the card to the volunteer . Tell the rest of the class that they should go to this wordkeeper if they forget what the word means . Follow the same steps with the word biodiversity .

Point out other important words in the selection, such as overfished and colony . Designate a wordkeeper for these and any words that might be challenging or unfamiliar to students .

READING OBJECTIVES• Describe the relationship between scientific ideas .

• Distinguish one’s point of view from that of

the author .

• Describe the cause/effect connections in the text .

SCIENCE OBJECTIVES• Understand the importance of biodiversity .

• Explain how humans can protect biodiversity .

A World Worth SavingOpinion Piece

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSCC.3.RInfo.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

CC.3.RInfo.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text.


A FRAMEWORK FOR K–12 SCIENCE EDUCATIONCore Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics How and why do organisms interact with their environment and what are the effects of these interactions?


7ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE A WORLD WORTH SAvING ©

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READThe content goal for On Assignment with Joel Sartore is for students to be introduced to the concept of biodiversity and the importance of protecting the variety of species on Earth . Remind students that “A World Worth Saving” is an opinion piece about why biodiversity is important . Point out the Read to find out statement at the top of page 2 in the student book: Read to find out why it is important to protect all living things.

Help students with the comprehension goal of accessing content by learning how to summarize and synthesize . Model by reading aloud the first paragraph on page 3 . Say: The text says that many species are in trouble because of human activities. I’ve heard news stories about this issue. I’ve also seen forests being cleared for housing developments. Now I understand that some human actions really affect the variety of life around us. I wonder what we might be able to do to protect animals who are at risk of dying out. I hope to find out more as I read on.

Before students begin reading, say: As you read, think about how you would summarize what biodiversity is and why it should be protected. Combine the new information with what you already know about the topic. That will give you a more complete understanding of the ideas in the text.

TURN & TALKRevisit the Read to find out statement . Have students turn and talk to explain why plants and animals are important to one another and to people . Check students’ understanding by discussing the Check In question: Why is it important to protect the world’s plants and animals? (Possible response: Plants and animals help people and other living things survive . Living things depend on other living things to survive .)

Describe Relationship Between Ideas Have students partner read pages 4 and 7 . Ask: What ideas are similar on these two pages? (Page 4: People depend on plants for many things . Page 7: Animals help people in many

ways .) Say: Let’s look more closely at the ways in which both animals and plants are important to people. Let’s also think about these as cause/effect relationships. You might want to provide an example and then have students turn and talk about other causes and effects that are mentioned in the text . Determining causes and effects can be tricky, so you might want students to use the following sentence construction to help determine causes and effects: Because plants give off oxygen (cause), humans can use that oxygen to breathe (effect).

Distinguish Point of View Explain that in an opinion piece the author has a certain point of view . This is the way the author thinks about a topic . Ask: What is Joel’s point of view in this opinion piece? (Possible response: Every plant and animal is special and important . Protecting biodiversity is important to the survival of plants, animals, and people .) Encourage students to discuss with a partner how their own points of view are similar to or different from the author’s point of view .

Describe Connections Tell student pairs to read the second paragraph on page 9 . Have the pairs look for a cause/effect connection between and among the sentences . Ask: What is the effect Joel hopes will happen when people look at his pictures? (Joel hopes people will fall in love with the many different species he photographs and will then be motivated to help them and preserve Earth’s biodiversity .)

WRITE & ASSESSYou may want to have students do a “quick write” to assess understanding . It’s always helpful to have students reflect on both the content of the selection and their thinking process .

• What is biodiversity and why should it be protected?• What do you still wonder about biodiversity?

8ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE A WORLD WORTH SAvING ©

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Joel Sartore: Photographer Profile

Summary “Joel Sartore: Photographer” is a profile of Joel Sartore, focusing on how and why he takes portrait-style photographs of animals from zoos, aquariums, and similar places .

BUILD BACKGROUND FOR THE GENRELead students to an understanding of the elements of a profile . Explain that “Joel Sartore: Photographer” is a profile with the following elements:

• It tells about a person’s life and his achievements . • Details and examples are used to convey information about the

person and his achievements .• Facts and information are conveyed through photos and captions .

BUILD VOCABULARY & CONCEPTS• species • endangered

Remind students that Using Context Clues is a strategy to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word . They can “read around” the word, or read a few sentences before and after it, to make meaning from the context . Remind them to look at the photographs, too .

Another strategy to try is Using Background Knowledge. Have students find the word endangered on page 12 . Ask students if they know this word . Have them turn and talk about what they know about the word danger and what might happen when someone is “in danger .” Then have them read the word in context . Invite students to share their ideas about its meaning . Have a class discussion and collaboratively construct a clear understanding of the word . Have students work in pairs and use their background knowledge to determine the meaning of species.

Point out other important words in the selection, such as portraits, for which students may be able to use their background knowledge and context clues to determine the meaning . You might want to have students discuss why portraits is used instead of pictures or photographs. (Portraits are photographs, drawings, or paintings of individuals, especially of the face .)

READING OBJECTIVES• Describe the relationship between steps in

the text .

• Use information gained from photographs and

words in the text to demonstrate understanding .

• Describe the logical connection between

particular sentences and paragraphs in the text .

SCIENCE OBJECTIVES• Understand how human interactions affect

animals .

• Recognize physical and behavioral differences

in animals .

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSCC.3.RInfo.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.



A FRAMEWORK FOR K–12 SCIENCE EDUCATIONCore Idea LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans What is biodiversity, how do humans affect it, and how does it affect humans?

9ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE JOEL SARTORE: PHOTOGRAPHER ©

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READThe content goal for On Assignment with Joel Sartore is for students to be introduced to the concept of biodiversity and the importance of protecting the variety of species on Earth . Tell students that “Joel Sartore: Photographer” is not just a profile of Joel’s life, it also explains how he takes portraits for his “Photo Ark .” Point out the Read to find out statement at the top of page 10 in the student book: Read to find out how Joel Sartore takes pictures of animals.

Help students with the comprehension goal of accessing the content by learning how to infer and visualize . Model by reading aloud the first paragraph on page 14 . Then say: The text says Joel takes photos quickly because he doesn’t want the animals to be stressed. It also says the animals bring in dirt and leave footprints and other undesirable things on the background. I can visualize what that might look like on the white paper and why Joel is only able to use the paper once. I can also infer that it isn’t only the animals that get stressed. Both Joel and the man holding the snake seem very focused. I can infer that they have to be focused to ensure nothing unexpected happens.

Before students begin reading, say: As you read, visualize the process of how Joel sets up a photo shoot. Think of other things you can infer about Joel from this profile.

TURN & TALKRevisit the Read to find out statement . Have students turn and talk about how Joel takes pictures of animals . (Possible response: Joel follows a very specific procedure when he photographs animals . He wants to capture photos of as many different species as possible .) Check students’ understanding by discussing the Check In question: How does Joel Sartore take portrait-style photos of animals? (He places the animal on a white or black background . He takes the portrait in the animal’s den or a quiet place . He takes a shot or two and then moves the animal off the background .)

Describe Relationship Between Steps Have students read pages 12 and 14 . Then have them turn and talk about the steps Joel follows when he takes an animal portrait . Say: Why do you think it is important that the animal is brought in after the background is set up? (Possible response: If the animal is brought in while the background is being set up, the animal might become stressed .) Say: Joel moves the animals off the background to keep them from becoming stressed. Why would being on the background cause an animal to become stressed? (Possible response: The situation is unusual for the animal .) Say: Joel follows specific steps when he takes his portraits. Why is it important that Joel always follows the same steps in the same order? (Possible response: Following the steps in the same order helps the photo session run more smoothly .)

Use Information from Photos and Text Have students use the photos on pages 12–17 to support their understanding of the selection . Have students turn and talk about what it must have been like to photograph the crocodile shown on pages 12–13 or the snake on pages 14–15 . Ask: What kinds of equipment and help does Joel use? How close does he get to the animal? Judging from the photos, do you think his job could be dangerous?

Describe Connections Have students look at the photos on pages 16 and 17 and discuss the sequence of events . Ask: What happened first, next, and so on? (First the mother chimp came through the den door . Next she grabbed the paper . Then she pulled the paper through the den door . Then she came back for the last little bit of paper .)


• Why does Joel use a plain background for all the portraits?• What interested you most about Joel’s work? What do you

think it would be like to be a nature photographer?

10ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE JOEL SARTORE: PHOTOGRAPHER ©

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Summary “Portraits from the Photo Ark” is a photo essay that shows a variety of animal portraits Joel Sartore has taken along with some interesting facts about the animals .

BUILD BACKGROUND FOR THE GENRELead students to an understanding of the elements of a photo essay . Explain that “Portraits from the Photo Ark” is a photo essay with the following elements:

• It includes a group of photos that explores a theme—showing some of Earth’s amazing biodiversity .

• Many of the photos are accompanied by explanatory text .• Its purpose is to bring out an emotional response from the reader .

BUILD VOCABULARY & CONCEPTS• biodiversity • endangered

Remind students that Using Context Clues is a strategy to infer the meaning of an unfamiliar word . They can “read around” the word, or read a few sentences before and after it, to make meaning from the context . Remind them to look at the photographs, too .

Another strategy to try is Creating a Content Word Wall. Find a wall or area of the classroom to designate as the Content Word Wall . Then co-create the Content Word Wall with students . Ask students to turn to page 18 and find the word biodiversity. Choose a volunteer to write the definition and another volunteer to draw an illustration of the word on a card . Then place the card on the Content Word Wall . Students can refer to the wall as they encounter the word in text . Have students follow the same procedure with the word endangered.

Point out other important words in the selection, such as variety. Have pairs discuss the meaning of this word and any words that might be challenging or unfamiliar to students .

READING OBJECTIVES• Determine the meaning of science words .

• Use information gained from photographs and

words in the text to demonstrate understanding .

SCIENCE OBJECTIVES• Become aware of biodiversity by viewing animal

portraits and reading about the environments

and the physical characteristics of these animals .

Portraits from the Photo Ark Photo Essay

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSCC.3.RInfo.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.


A FRAMEWORK FOR K–12 SCIENCE EDUCATIONCore Idea LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes LS1.D: Information Processing How do organisms detect, process, and use information about the environment?

11ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE PORTRAITS FROM THE PHOTO ARK ©

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001-019_OTG_59724_G3.indd 11 11/25/13 2:14 PM

READThe content goal for On Assignment with Joel Sartore is for students to be introduced to the concept of biodiversity and the importance of protecting the variety of species on Earth . Tell students that “Portraits from the Photo Ark” presents some of Joel’s many animal portraits . Point out the Read to find out statement at the top of page 18 in the student book: Read to find out about the variety of Earth’s animals.

Help students with the comprehension goal of accessing the content by learning how to infer and visualize . Model by reading aloud the caption on page 19 . Then say: I love the way Joel takes the animal portraits against the plain background. It really lets me focus on the animal and see it eye-to-eye. But I also want to visualize the animal in its natural setting. The caption helps me do that. I can picture this anteater using its long tongue to gobble up thousands of ants crawling along the ground. I can infer that the long snout and tongue are perfect for reaching ants and termites in holes and other hard-to-reach places.

Before students begin reading, say: As you read, use the captions to help you visualize how the animals act in their natural settings.

TURN & TALKRevisit the Read to find out statement . Have students turn and talk about which animals might have been the most challenging to photograph and why . (Possible responses: the eyelash viper because it’s dangerous; the African moon moth because it would be hard to keep still; the hippopotamus because it’s so big) Check students’ understanding with the Check In question: Which animal portrait do you like the most? Why? (Answers will vary . Encourage students to offer at least one reason for their choice .)

Determine Word Meaning Read aloud the sentence on page 21 with the bold word endangered. Say: I have heard that the California condor is endangered, but I don’t know what that means for this species. I’ll read on to see if I can find out exactly what endangered means as it relates specifically to the California condor. After reading the rest of the text, ask students to turn and talk about why a species would be endangered if only 22 animals of that kind were left in the world . Ask: Why is it better that there are 300 condors instead of just 22? (Possible response: The more condors there are, the better chance that the species will survive and no longer be endangered .) Why might it be better that some condors can live in the wild? (Possible response: Condors and most other animals are naturally wild, so they belong in the wild . If the condors can survive in the wild, then they will grow in numbers and no longer be endangered . Living things in the wild interact with and depend on other living things . If one species dies out, other living things are affected .)

Use Information from Photos and Text Say: Each animal in this selection seems to have one or more characteristics that help it survive in its environment. Have students turn to a page that has a photo of the animal that interests them the most . Have students turn and talk about the unique characteristics that each animal has . Then ask: How do these characteristics help the animals survive?


• Which portraits do you think are most effective at getting people to care about the animals?

• Which animals in the portraits did you find most surprising, unusual, or interesting? Why?

12ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE PORTRAITS FROM THE PHOTO ARK ©

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Discuss

CONTENT & COMPREHENSION GOALSFoster a discussion about the selections in On Assignment with Joel Sartore . Ask: In this book, what did you learn about biodiversity? (Possible responses are given in the concept map . Students may have more or different information .)

The three selections in On Assignment with Joel Sartore are an opinion piece, a profile, and a photo essay . Life science concepts (biodiversity, endangered, and species) thread through the selections . Guide a discussion about these science concepts .

What makes the selections especially interesting to read, though, is the interdisciplinary context—real-life stories about Joel Sartore and his work that include not only life science but also geography and Earth science . Have students turn and talk about the interdisciplinary nature of the selections . You might ask: How is reading On Assignment with Joel Sartore different from reading a textbook about biodiversity and endangered species? Also ask them to consider differences in the ways the selections were written (such as genre, text structure, and point of view) and how the writing style helps the science concepts come alive .

READING OBJECTIVES• Ask and answer questions to demonstrate

understanding .

SCIENCE OBJECTIVES• Understand the importance of biodiversity .

In this book, what did you learn about biodiversity?

Biodiversity is important to the

survival of all species.

I can help protect biodiversity.

Protecting biodiversity helps people

and other living things survive.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSCC.3.RInfo.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

A FRAMEWORK FOR K–12 SCIENCE EDUCATIONCore Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics How and why do organisms interact with their environment and what are the effects of these interactions?

Core Idea LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity LS4D: Biodiversity and Humans What is biodiversity, how do humans affect it, and how does it affect humans?

13ON ASSIGNMENT WITH JOEL SARTORE DIScUSS ©

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DISCUSSHave students collaboratively answer the questions on page 32 as you move about the room and listen in to support and scaffold student conversations and clarify misconceptions .

1. Think about the three pieces in this book. How are they connected to each other? (The three pieces are connected by Joel Sartore’s interest in saving wild animals and plants . The first selection gives Joel’s reasons for wanting to protect biodiversity, the second selection tells how Joel takes portraits of animals for the Photo Ark, and the third selection shows portraits from the Photo Ark .)

2. What are some things you can do to help protect Earth’s biodiversity? (Learn about your favorite animals and support organizations that work to save them; don’t keep wild animals as pets; use resources carefully; be thoughtful and caring and try to help .)

3. Why does Joel Sartore take portrait-style photographs of animals? (Joel sees his photos as a way for people to see and fall in love with many kinds of animals so they will want to protect them . Also, Joel wants to show that small animals are as important as large ones .)

4. Pick two of the animals in “Portraits from the Photo Ark.” Describe what is special about each of them. (Answers will vary but should include facts from the descriptions given for the particular animals, additional descriptive details that students notice from the photos, and/or feelings that the photos evoke .)

5. What do you still wonder about Joel Sartore and the animals in this book? How could you find out more? (Answers will vary but should include ways to gather more information about Joel Sartore and animals, such as researching in a library or on the Internet or visiting a zoo .)

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Research & Share

In small groups or individually, offer students the chance to explore questions they have or ideas they still wonder about, based on their reading in On Assignment with Joel Sartore. Use question 5 on the Discuss page of the student book as a springboard for student questions and ideas for further research .

EXPLOREEncourage students to express their curiosity in their own way . The questions students have matter . You might have students talk with peers, write about what they wonder, or create drawings based on what they learned from reading the different selections in On Assignment with Joel Sartore. Guide them to immerse themselves in resources related to what they are most interested in learning more about . They might ask questions or make statements about their interests, for example:

• What else can I learn about Joel Sartore’s work?• Who are some other wildlife photographers?• Besides the California condor, what other species are endangered?• What zoo is closest to me, and what is it doing to help protect

biodiversity?

GATHER INFORMATIONAfter students explore, they should arrive at a question that will drive their research . Students may want to read, listen to, and view information with their question in mind . Guide students to use resources, such as reliable sites on the Internet, science texts and articles, library books, and magazines, that address the question they posed . Collecting information may lead students to revise or narrow their question .

You may want students to follow a specific note taking system to keep track of their thinking and findings as they gather information . In addition to taking notes, ask students to make a list of their sources . You may want to model how to take notes by interacting with text, jotting down your thoughts in the margins or on sticky notes, and demonstrating how to summarize the most important information . Remind students that their question will drive their research and note taking .

OBJECTIVES• Ask questions based on reading On Assignment

with Joel Sartore.

• Research, document, and share information .

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTSCC.3.Write.7 conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

CC.3.Write.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

CC.3.Write.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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ANALYZE & SYNTHESIZEGuide students to carefully and thoughtfully review their notes to determine the big ideas related to their question . As students prepare to use the information they’ve gathered to formulate an answer to their question, support them as they analyze and synthesize . Be sure they do the following:

• Revise any misconceptions .• Notice incongruities in their information .• Evaluate all the various pieces of information . • Pull together the most pertinent information that

addresses their question .

While analyzing and synthesizing their research, students may realize that the more they learn, the more they wonder . To help focus their thinking, students may want to talk with classmates or write in a research notebook . Remind them that just as in real-world scientific research, there may not be a final answer to the question they posed .

SHAREWhen students share their research, they become teachers, consider how their ideas were shaped by the investigation, and pose new questions . Students may express their knowledge by writing, speaking, creating a visual piece, or taking action in the community . The best culminating projects are ones with authentic purposes . For example, the student who wants to find out about endangered species in the local area may want to download photographs and present their portraits in a Photo Ark display similar to that of Joel Sartore’s . The student may want to show the portraits in a digital presentation .

When students are given the time to gather information about a topic that interests them, they will find unique and individual ways to share what they learned . Some options you can suggest might include the following:

• eBooks with photos and text to share with other students who are researching endangered species

• A campaign to save a local endangered species as well as suggestions and information for individuals who want to get involved

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Correlation

Grade 3 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and A Framework for K–12 Science Education correlated to National Geographic Ladders Science

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Grade 3On Assignment with Joel Sartore Teacher’s Guide

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Key Ideas and Details 1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as

the basis for the answers.Pages 13–14

2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

3. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Pages 7–10

Craft and Structure 4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant

to a grade 3 topic or subject area.Pages 11–12

5. Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

6. Distinguish their own point of view from that of the author of a text. Pages 7–8

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to

demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).Pages 9–12

8. Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

Pages 7–10

9. compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies,

science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

If the entire NG Ladders Science grade 3 program is used throughout the year, students will have had exposure to multiple genres, multiple levels, and appropriate scaffolding.

Writing Standards

Text Types and Purposes 1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing 4. With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization

are appropriate to task and purpose.

5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

6. With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

(cont. on p. 18)

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Notes

Research to Build and Present Knowledge 7. conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. Pages 15–16

8. Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

Pages 15–16

9. (Begins in grade 4)

Range of Writing 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter

time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Pages 15–16

A Framework for K–12 Science EducationOn Assignment with Joel Sartore Teacher’s Guide

Core Idea LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes LS1.D: Information ProcessingHow do organisms detect, process, and use information about the environment?

Pages 4–6, 11–12

Core Idea LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics How and why do organisms interact with their environment and what are the effects of these interactions?

Pages 4–8, 13–14


Pages 4–10, 13–14

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Glossary

Physical Science Cool Caves • Roller Coasters Explorer T.H. Culhane: Energy Solutions Hidden Discoveries

Earth Science Mountains, Valleys, and Plains Big Storm • Eruption! • Destination: Space

Life Science Tropical Rain Forest Adventure Tricks, Traps, and Tools • Keep Out! Keep Away! On Assignment with Joel Sartore

Science

biodiveristy (noun) the variety of living things

endangered (adjective) to be at risk of dying out

species (noun) a kind of living thing

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSGrateful acknowledgment is given to the authors, artists, photographers, museums, publishers, and agents for permission to reprint copyrighted material. Every effort has been made to secure the appropriate permission. If any omissions have been made or if corrections are required, please contact the Publisher.

Credits9 (bg) ©Michael Nolan. (t) ©Smit/Shutterstock. Unless otherwise noted all photographs ©Joel Sartore/National Geographic Stock.

Copyright © 2015 National Geographic Learning, Cengage Learning

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced, transmitted, stored, or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, scanning, digitizing, taping, web distribution, information networks, or information storage and retrieval systems, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

National Geographic and the Yellow Border are registered trademarks of the National Geographic Society.

For permission to use material from this text or product, submit all requests online at cengage.com/permissions

Further permissions questions can be emailed to [email protected]

Visit National Geographic Learning online at NGL.Cengage.com Visit our corporate website at cengage.comContent Consultants

Randy L. Bell, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Professor, Oregon State University

Kathy Cabe Trundle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Early Childhood Science Education, The Ohio State University

Judith S. Lederman, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of Teacher Education, Illinois Institute of Technology

ISBN: 978-12853-5972-4

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