Five paragraphs on camouflage fill this 4-page 3rd grade reading. The passage defines the word, then shows the arctic fox turning white in winter and brown in summer, a stick insect freezing like a twig, a chameleon and a flounder changing their skin, and a tiger's stripes breaking up its outline in tall grass. Eight questions in three parts mix multiple choice, a True or False table with evidence and an opinion. It ties to Common Core RI.3.1 and RI.3.4.
RI.3.1
“Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.”
Questions 2, 3 and 5 to 7 send students back to the passage, and question 7 asks for a copied phrase as proof.
RI.3.4
“Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.”
Question 4 asks which word in paragraph 3 means stop moving completely.
Five paragraphs beside a photo of an arctic fox in the snow. The word camouflage is in bold.
Question 1 asks why animals use camouflage, and question 2 asks how the arctic fox's coat changes from winter to summer. Question 3 asks which animal lives on the ocean floor, and question 4 asks for the word in paragraph 3 that means stop moving completely.
Question 5 asks what would happen to an arctic fox whose fur stayed white in summer, and question 6 asks why a stick insect sways in the breeze. Question 7 is a table of two statements to mark True or False, with room to copy proof from the passage.
Question 8 asks which animal has the best camouflage for its habitat, with details from the text.
Letters for the multiple-choice items, the word freezes, quoted evidence for question 7 and notes for the open questions.
Take it outside
Before reading, ask students to find the best place on the playground for a stick insect to hide. Then read the passage and compare their picks.
Model the evidence table
Do the chameleon row on the board together. Students need the part of the sentence about warming up and sending messages to see why the statement is false.
Open response
Question 8 accepts any of the five animals. Look for a detail from the text, such as the flounder matching pebbles and sand, rather than for a particular animal.
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