Download what do you think?

BIOLOGY/common core: persuasive writing
Name:
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
In “Back From the Dead” (p. 8), you learned that scientists are trying to bring extinct species back to life. Not all scientists
believe it is a good idea to resurrect organisms that have died out. Use this work sheet to write an opinion essay explaining
your view about whether scientists should bring extinct species back to life. Use facts from the article to support your opinion.
STEP 1. State your opinion. (Clearly state your opinion about whether scientists should try to bring species back from
extinction.)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 2. Gather supporting evidence. (Provide at least two arguments that support your opinion. Consider the benefits
or dangers of reviving extinct species.)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 3. Summarize the topic. (Write a brief summary for people who aren’t familiar with the science of bringing back
extinct species.)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
STEP 4. Write your essay on a separate piece of paper:
£ Introduce the reader to the topic with your summary.
£ Write a paragraph that states your opinion and includes your supporting arguments. Be sure to include relevant details.
£ Conclude by briefly restating your opinion.
Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only. ©2013 by Scholastic Inc.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
earth: READING COMPREHENSION
Name:
A MAMMOTH EXTINCTION
In “Back From the Dead” (p. 8), you read about scientists who are trying to bring extinct species back to life. Many factors
can cause a species to disappear. Read the following passage to learn about evidence for what may have killed off woolly
mammoths. Then answer the questions that follow.
MAMMOTH MYSTERY
What caused woolly mammoths to vanish from the planet? Many scientists blame the
extinction of the species on overhunting by humans. But new findings indicate that another factor
also played a role in their demise.
Mammoths once roamed most of northern North America and Siberia. Fossil evidence
suggests that these hairy, elephantlike animals completely disappeared roughly 10,000 years
ago. That’s around the same time that humans first moved into North America and began hunting
them.
But researchers now believe hunting wasn’t the only thing killing off mammoths. By looking
at the ages of fossilized mammoth bones, scientists can tell that mammoth populations were in
decline before people arrived. The likely culprit: a warming climate.
The extinction of woolly mammoths coincided with the end of a glacial period, a time when
Earth’s climate was cool and large sheets of ice covered much of Earth’s surface. As the climate
warmed, new types of plants replaced the cold-weather grasses that the giant herbivores ate.
Many mammoths may have starved because their digestive systems weren’t adapted to break
down the new plants.
QUESTIONS
1. When did woolly mammoths disappear?
! about 10,000 years ago
" at the end of a glacial period
# at roughly the same time humans moved into North
America
$ all of the above
2. Which of the following is an opinion?
! Mammoths disappeared roughly 10,000 years ago.
" A glacial period is a time when large ice sheets cover
much of Earth’s surface.
# Mammoths ate cold-weather grasses.
$ Humans should not have hunted mammoths.
3. Use context clues to choose the best definition
for coincided with.
! caused
" had nothing to do with
# happened at the same time as
$ prevented
4. Which of the following is NOT thought to have
contributed to the extinction of woolly mammoths?
! Earth’s climate changed.
" Earth’s temperature cooled.
# The plants in North America changed.
$ Humans hunted mammoths.
5. Which of the following best describes the
author’s main purpose in writing this article?
! to provide readers with interesting information about
mammoths
" to explain how humans can drive animals to extinction
# to describe how Earth’s climate changed 10,000 years
ago
$ to explain what scientists think drove woolly mammoths
to extinction
Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only. ©2013 by Scholastic Inc.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013
chemistry: READING COMPREHENSION
Name:
FIGHTING FUNGUS
In “Back From the Dead” (p. 8), you read about scientists who are trying to bring extinct species back to life. One species
they are trying to revive is the gastric-brooding frog. This frog was driven to extinction in part by a fungal infection that
causes a deadly chemical imbalance. Read the following passage to learn about this chemical killer and how scientists
hope to stop it from wiping out other species of amphibians. Then answer the questions that follow.
FATAL FUNGUS
A microorganism is killing off many of the world’s amphibians. The chytrid fungus
(Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) has infected at least 200 species. Many of those species have
already become extinct. Can scientists stop this killer?
The chytrid fungus kills by causing a chemical imbalance. Healthy amphibians absorb water
and chemicals called electrolytes through their skin. Electrolytes are charged particles that carry
electrical signals to the body’s cells. These electric pulses are critical to the functioning of nerves,
muscles, and the heart.
The chytrid fungus prevents amphibians from properly taking in electrolytes through their skin.
Scientists have found that infected frogs have low levels of potassium and sodium ions. Without
these electrolytes to help carry electrical signals to the heart, the frogs die.
There is some promising news: A bacterium called Janthinobacterium lividum appears to protect
amphibians against the deadly fungus. The bacterium produces a chemical that prevents the
growth of the chytrid fungus. J. lividum already exists on the skin of many amphibians. Scientists
are considering ways to introduce the protective microbe to other amphibian populations.
QUESTIONS
infected with the chytrid fungus?
!2
" 200
# 2,000
$ all of them
4. How does Janthinobacterium lividum protect
amphibians?
! It produces electrolytes for amphibians to use.
" It kills all other bacteria in the area.
# It prevents the growth of the chytrid fungus.
$ It removes electrolytes from amphibians’ skin.
2. Which of the following is NOT true?
5. Which of the following sentences is best
1. Roughly how many amphibian species have been
! Amphibians absorb water through their skin.
" The chytrid fungus is critical to the functioning of
nerves and muscles.
# Electrolytes carry electrical signals in the body.
$ A lack of electrolytes can be deadly to frogs.
3. Use context clues to choose the best definition
for absorb.
! release
" reduce
# feel
$ take in
supported by information in the passage?
! There is no hope for saving the world’s amphibians.
" Janthinobacterium lividum will protect all amphibians
from the chytrid fungus.
# The chytrid fungus is a big problem for amphibians, but
scientists may find a way to fight it.
$ Scientists are not concerned about the effects of the
chytrid fungus on amphibians.
Permission granted by Science World to reproduce for classroom use only. ©2013 by Scholastic Inc.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013