Animals that Live in the Australian Desert
- Grades
- Grades 5–7, Middle School, Elementary
- File type
- Preparation
- Print ready
- Subject
- Science, Life Sciences, Animals, Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, ELA, Environmental Science
- Topic
- Australian desert, Adaptation
- Resource types
- Worksheets & Printables, Worksheets, Word Searches
- Preparation
- Print ready
About this resource
What's inside this resource
Animals that Live in the Australian Desert
Animals that Live in the Australian Desert is an informative and engaging educational resource that revolves around unique biodiversity residing in Australia's outback. Combining science, social studies, geography, and reading, this top-notch teaching tool provides a rich tapestry of knowledge that stimulates student exploration into global habitats.
A Resource for Grade 5 to Grade 7 Students
Specially designed for Grade 5 to Grade 7 students, this Sixth Grade Level W reader contains nine carefully crafted pages introducing the fascinating beings dwelling within Australia's deserts. It takes learners on a captivating journey of discovery featuring desert dingoes, bearded dragons, marsupial moles, and the endangered bilby among others. Each page unveils new insights into how these animals have impressively adapted to endure intense heat and manage scarce rainfall.
The book sets students up to grasp complex scientific terms with ease while developing their understanding of Earth’s intricate ecosystems.
The Unique Feature...Auxiliary Activity Pages!
Incredibly well-designed auxiliary activity pages distinguish Animals that Live in the Australian Desert and ensure reinforcement of essential literacy skills for your students. These include such skills as:
Fostering reading comprehension
Promoting utilization language
Honing writing capabilities thus making learning fun-filled yet effective!
This teaching resource strictly adheres to Common Core State Standards (CCSS):
RI.6.2 encourages students to determine central text ideas through the analysis of details
RI.6.7 requires students to integrate information presented visually or quantitatively besides words for sharper topic understanding
Including encapsulating worksheets alongside an Answer Key all confined within an accessible 15-page PDF document makes learning readily available wherever you go! So whether you're guiding an entire class supplemented with the visual text or holding small group sessions involving close-knit discussions—even assigning enlightening homework, Animals that Live in the Australian Desert serves as your steadfast companion weaving learning threads any way you wish. The possibilities are endless!
What is included
15 pages (Worksheets and Answer Key)
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In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Explain how xerocole adaptations help desert animals survive extreme heat and limited water.
Define and correctly use grade-level vocabulary such as 'evapotranspiration,' 'estivation,' and 'characterized.'
Compare the diet, behavior, and physical characteristics of two burrowing desert animals from the text.
Teaching tips
Pre-teach the twelve target vocabulary words before reading, since several (like 'evapotranspiration') are unlikely to be familiar to students.
Use the word search as a quick post-reading check that students can locate and recall all ten featured animal names.
Assign the extended-response comparison question as a short written paragraph rather than the blank-line format, if more writing space is needed.
Skills covered
Nonfiction reading comprehension — students answer multiple-choice and extended-response questions based on an informational passage.
Academic vocabulary acquisition — students define and use content-specific vocabulary such as 'xerocole' and 'estivation' in original sentences.
Compare-and-contrast writing — students compare the diet, behavior, and physical traits of two burrowing desert animals.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
What single adaptation strategy links all of the animals profiled in this reader?
All ten featured animals are classified as xerocoles, meaning they have instinctively adapted ways to get relief from heat and manage with little or no drinking water, from nocturnal activity to getting moisture entirely from food.
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Resource details
Concepts & topics
Core concepts
Core concepts
desert biomes
animal adaptations
reading comprehension
vocabulary
Topics
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