Infusion of Literacy into the Science Curriculum

Book Information

Title / Elephants of Africa
Author / Gail Gibbons
Publisher / Holiday House
Copyright Year / 2008
ISBN# / ISBN-10: 1430109564
ISBN-13: 9780823421688
Summary / African elephants are the largest living land animals, and this book contains information about their trunks, tusks, skin, ears, eyes, and teeth, as well as specifics about females, males and elephant family groups. The threats to African elephants survival are explained, as well as what is being done to protect them.
Availability / Arlington Libraries (Aurora Hills, Central, Cherrydale, Columbia Pike, Glencarlyn, Shirlington, Westover); APS Library system (Abington, Science Focus, Ashlawn, Drew, Key, Long Branch, McKinley, Randolph); Amazon (for purchase).

How can the book content be infused into the science curriculum?

Grade Level / K-5
Strands / Life Processes, Living Systems, Earth Patterns, Cycle and Change, Earth Resources
Kindergarten / Life Processes
K.6 & K.7 – Basic life needs, processes of plants and animals
Earth Patterns, Cycle and Change
K.9 & K.10 Patterns: animal/plant growth, routines, change
Grade 1 / Life Processes
1.4 & 1.5 Plants & Animals- needs, parts, characteristics
Grade 2 / Living Systems
2.5 Habitats
Grade 3 / Life Processes
3.4 – Animal Adaptations
Living Systems
3.5 & 3.6 Food chains, Environments
Earth Patterns, Cycle and Change
3.8 & 3.9 Animal/plant life cycles
Earth Resources
3.10 & 3.11 Survival of species – effects of humans, nature on organisms
Grade 4 / Living Systems
4.5 Ecosystems
Grade 5 / Living Systems
5.5 Characteristics for organism’s survival

Sample Activities

Grade 1 / After reading the book to the class, students work together to make a class A-B-C book about African Elephants, using the facts from the story. Each student chooses a letter, the word that will represent that letter (information about elephant needs, parts, characteristics), writes a sentence to describe their elephant word, then illustrates their page. Early finishers can do a second letter, to cover all 26, which then can be bound into a class book.
Grade 5 / After reading the book to the class, students created their poster to advertise the characteristics needed for survival of African elephants. The poster should illustrate the threats to elephant survival and what is being done to help protect these elephants.

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