Savanna Warm-Up

What do you already know about grasslands or savannas?

If you were an animal living in a place with very hot, dry winters and very rainy summers, what are some things you would need to survive?

The Savanna: Land of Adaptations

A savanna is another name for grassland, a wide-open, vast stretch of grass-covered land. There are not many trees or bushes. The East African Savanna has very warm weather all year round. It only has two seasons: the very rainy summer, and the very dry winter. The plants and animals that live here have adapted to these two very different kinds of weather.

Grass is the most important plant in the savannas. The grasses can survive the tough conditions of their habitat. The grass has adapted to these conditions by growing very deep roots. Even if the grass above ground is destroyed, the roots underground survive and the grass can grow back. This grass grows very quickly, as much as an inch per day!

Grass is food for many of the larger animals, like elephants, zebras, gazelles, and antelope. They chew on grass all day long. Animals depend on the nutrients in the grass to survive. It would seem that because so many animals eat the grass in the savanna every day, there wouldn’t be very much grass left after a while. But, this grass grows back very quickly, so there’s usually plenty for the different herbivores, like zebras and antelope, to eat! Plus, different animals are adapted to eat different parts of the grass.

Many animals get their meals from the acacia tree. Giraffes, with their long necks and tongues, eat twigs and leaves from the top of the acacia. Not only are giraffes’ tongues long, they are also very tough. The twigs of the acacia tree are covered with sharp thorns that the giraffes eat along with the twigs and leaves! Giraffes eat many of the insects that live on the tree as well.

Acacias have adapted well to their habitat. Acacias have small leaves that don’t dry out as quickly as larger leaves would in the dry, hot months. The roots of an acacia grow very deep into the ground, which allows them to collect water from far underground when there is not much rainfall. And, as we already know, their branches are covered by sharp thorns. These help keep some animals from eating too many of them. These trees are right at home in this habitat.

Savanna Super Survivors Worksheet

Directions: Read the passage "The Savanna: Land of Adaptations" carefully and answer the questions below. Remember to use evidence from the text to support your answers.

1. What is another name for a savanna? (Paragraph 1)
   
   
   

2. What are the two seasons in the East African Savanna? (Paragraph 1)
   
   
   

3. How have the plants and animals living in the savanna adapted to its two very different kinds of weather? (Paragraph 1)
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Why is grass considered the most important plant in the savannas? Give two reasons from the text. (Paragraph 2)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

5. Name three animals that eat grass in the savanna. (Paragraph 3)
   
   
   

6. How do giraffes manage to eat from the thorny acacia tree? (Paragraph 4)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

7. What are two ways the acacia tree has adapted to its savanna habitat? (Paragraph 5)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Savanna Questions Answer Key

1. What is another name for a savanna? (Paragraph 1)

• Answer: Another name for a savanna is grassland.
• Reasoning: The first sentence states, "A savanna is another name for grassland, a wide-open, vast stretch of grass-covered land."

2. What are the two seasons in the East African Savanna? (Paragraph 1)

• Answer: The two seasons are the very rainy summer and the very dry winter.
• Reasoning: The text says, "It only has two seasons: the very rainy summer, and the very dry winter."

3. How have the plants and animals living in the savanna adapted to its two very different kinds of weather? (Paragraph 1)

• Answer: The plants and animals have adapted to these two very different kinds of weather.
• Reasoning: The last sentence of the first paragraph states, "The plants and animals that live here have adapted to these two very different kinds of weather."

4. Why is grass considered the most important plant in the savannas? Give two reasons from the text. (Paragraph 2)

• Answer: Grass is considered the most important plant because it can survive tough conditions by growing very deep roots, and it grows back very quickly (as much as an inch per day).
• Reasoning: The text explains, "The grass has adapted to these conditions by growing very deep roots. Even if the grass above ground is destroyed, the roots underground survive and the grass can grow back. This grass grows very quickly, as much as an inch per day!"

5. Name three animals that eat grass in the savanna. (Paragraph 3)

• Answer: Three animals that eat grass are elephants, zebras, gazelles, and antelope (any three are acceptable).
• Reasoning: The text states, "Grass is food for many of the larger animals, like elephants, zebras, gazelles, and antelope."

6. How do giraffes manage to eat from the thorny acacia tree? (Paragraph 4)

• Answer: Giraffes manage to eat from the thorny acacia tree because they have long necks to reach the top and very long, tough tongues that allow them to eat twigs, leaves, and the sharp thorns.
• Reasoning: The passage explains, "Giraffes, with their long necks and tongues, eat twigs and leaves from the top of the acacia. Not only are giraffes’ tongues long, they are also very tough. The twigs of the acacia tree are covered with sharp thorns that the giraffes eat along with the twigs and leaves!"

7. What are two ways the acacia tree has adapted to its savanna habitat? (Paragraph 5)

• Answer: Two ways the acacia tree has adapted are by having small leaves that don't dry out quickly and by having very deep roots to collect water from underground. (Thorns are also an adaptation, so mentioning thorns is acceptable as a third reason if students provide it.)
• Reasoning: The text states, "Acacias have small leaves that don’t dry out as quickly as larger leaves would in the dry, hot months. The roots of an acacia grow very deep into the ground, which allows them to collect water from far underground when there is not much rainfall. And, as we already know, their branches are covered by sharp thorns. These help keep some animals from eating too many of them.""

Savanna Super Survivors Script

Warm-Up: Savanna Brainstorm (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, class! Today we're going on an exciting journey to a special place called the savanna. Before we dive in, I want us to think a little about what we already know or imagine about places like this. I've handed out a quick Savanna Warm-Up for you to complete. Take about 2-3 minutes to write down your thoughts on what you know about grasslands or savannas, and what an animal might need to survive in a place with hot, dry winters and rainy summers."

(Allow students time to complete the warm-up.)

Teacher: "Alright, let's hear some of your ideas! Who would like to share something they wrote about grasslands or savannas?"

(Call on a few students. Encourage them to share what they think might be true or what they wonder about. Validate all responses.)

Teacher: "Excellent ideas! It sounds like we have some great starting points. Now, let's see how close our predictions are to the real thing!"

Introduction to Savannas (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Now, let's look at our Savanna Super Survivors Slide Deck as we read about the savanna. I'm going to read the passage 'The Savanna: Land of Adaptations' aloud, and I want you all to follow along silently. As I read, try to picture this amazing place in your minds."

(Display Slide 2: What is a Savanna? and then continue through Slide 6 as you read the Savanna Reading Passage aloud or have students read along.)

Teacher: "So, what's one big idea you heard about the savanna in that first read-through? Turn and talk to a partner for 30 seconds about something new you learned or something that surprised you."

(Allow brief partner discussion, then call on a few students to share.)

Teacher: "Great observations! We're starting to build a picture of what life is like in the savanna."

Text-Dependent Questions Activity (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Now it's your turn to become 'text detectives'! I'm handing out the Savanna Super Survivors Worksheet. Your job is to answer these questions by going back into the passage we just read. I want you to find the exact words or sentences in the text that tell you the answer. You can even highlight or underline those parts of the passage."

(Display Slide 7: Time for Text-Dependent Questions! Distribute the worksheets.)

Teacher: "Remember, these are 'text-dependent' questions, which means all the answers are right there in the reading. Work independently, and if you get stuck, go back to the passage and read it again carefully. I'll be walking around to help if you need it."

(Circulate around the room, providing support, prompting students to point to evidence in the text, and answering individual questions. Encourage students to explain how they found their answers.)

Review and Discussion (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright, class, let's bring it back together. We're going to go over the answers to our Savanna Super Survivors Worksheet as a class. I'll use our Savanna Questions Answer Key to guide us. As we discuss each question, I want you to be ready to tell us where in the passage you found your answer. Which paragraph, or even which sentence, gave you the information?"

*(Display Slide 8: Let's Discuss Our Answers!)

Teacher: "Let's start with Question 1: 'What is another name for a savanna?' Who can tell us the answer and where you found it?"

(Go through each question, calling on different students. Insist that students provide textual evidence for their answers. Use the answer key to ensure accuracy and to guide discussion if students struggle.)

Teacher: "Fantastic work today, text detectives! You did a great job using the passage to find your answers and learning about the amazing adaptations in the savanna. Give yourselves a pat on the back!"