Lesson Plan - Battle of the Brains

Watch a Video: Animal Brainpower 
Discuss: Which examples of animal intelligence shown in the video impress you the most? Explain. 

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• nervous system 
• invertebrate 

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, invite them to look for signs of intelligence in animals. 

1. Based on the article, what are some reasons animals use tools? Some animals use tools for protection, like dolphins putting sea sponges on their beaks, octopuses carrying shells to hide inside, or elephants using branches to swat flies. Others use tools to get food, like chimps using sticks to dig for termites. 

^{(RI.4.9 INTEGRATING INFORMATION)}

2. How is a dolphin’s unique whistle similar to a human name? A dolphin’s unique whistle is similar to a human name in that it can be used by other dolphins to identify that dolphin.

^{(RI.4.3 EXPLAINING IDEAS)}

3. Why does the author mention an octopus’s brain and nervous system? The author mentions an octopus’s central brain and complex nervous system to explain why an octopus’s eight arms can move independently. 

^{(RI.4.8 REASONS AND EVIDENCE)}

FEATURED SKILL: Main Idea
Use “Heading Hashtags” to have students create hashtags identifying the main ideas of each boxed section. Offer an example: #DolphinsTeamUp. Download it as Google Slides or a PDF at scholastic.com/sn4.
^{(RI.4.2 MAIN IDEA)}