Students most enjoy reading when content is engaging, whether they are reading fiction or nonfiction. And elementary school students really love to learn more about animals! Engage your students with fascinating selections about life sciences from Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry for grades 2–5.
We offer four selections, complete with activities, for different grade levels that you can try in your classroom now:
- Splash! Rustle! How Habitats Help Frogs Survive (grade 2)
- Egg-cellent Bird Parents (grade 3)
- Crows: Friend or Foe? (grade 4)
- Roads Take a Toll on Wildlife (grade 5)
Download the sample lesson plans today and try them in your classroom whenever you like. We encourage you to:
- Conduct the prereading activity, asking students key questions that prepare them for the text they are about to read.
- Read the selection aloud to students, then open the floor for a sharing questions activity to see what confused students most and what interested students most.
- Continue with a second reading and Shared Inquiry™ discussion, if you have some experience with Junior Great Bookss®. Question prompts for both of these activities are included in the sample lesson plans.
- Examine the Check Your Understanding quiz at the end of each unit, as well as the writing supports and Further Investigation ideas, so you can gain an appreciation for all Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry has to offer.
Be sure to examine the full contents of each unit so you can see the wide variety of activities we have prepared to help students get the most out of their reading.
Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry Selections About Animals, with Matching Fiction Selections
| Nonfiction Inquiry Selection | Description | Grade Level | Matching Fiction Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splash! Rustle! How Habitats Help Frogs Survive | Students read about how some kinds of frogs use the different places they live to stay safe from animals that might eat them. | 2 | The Wise Little Toad |
| Why We Need Bees | Students read about why bees are important and how people are working to help keep them safe and healthy. | 2 | Catalog Cats/Our Garden |
| Egg-cellent Bird Parents | Students read about the things bird parents do to protect their eggs and their babies. | 3 | The Ugly Duckling |
| Crows: Friend or Foe? | Students read about how smart crows are and some of the clever and annoying things they do when they live among humans. | 4 | Crow Call |
| Leave It to Beavers? | Students read about why humans build dams and how dams are affecting Earth’s climate and ecosystems. | 4 | Letting Swift River Go |
| Roads Take a Toll on Wildlife | Students read about how building roads can help humans but harm plants, animals, and the habitats they live in. | 5 | A Bad Road for Cats |
Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry is full of interesting selections that students love to investigate and discuss. All Nonfiction Inquiry Teacher’s Editions include tables showing the content area and focus for each text. They also include Text-to-Text Connection prompts that allow students to compare and contrast a related text from the corresponding Junior Great Books fiction series.
Get Started Today
If you’d like to engage your students in discussions and activities about thought-provoking nonfiction texts that explore contemporary and historical issues—and align with national social studies and science standards—take a look at Junior Great Books Nonfiction Inquiry! The program pairs perfectly with Junior Great Books Fiction series for grades 2–5.
Schedule a quick meeting with your K–12 partnership manager to discuss the materials and Shared Inquiry training you’ll need to bring these exciting programs to your classroom.