September 2025

Animal Snack Test

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Academic Standards

 

Reading Objective:

Students will identify steps scientists use to conduct investigations as they read about a scientist who did an animal snack test.

 

Reading Level:

Lexile: 430L; GRL: L

 

Next Generation Science Standards:

Practice 3: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

2-LS4-1: Observe Plants and Animals in Their Habitats

 

Vocabulary:

test, observe, record, ungulate

Use these questions to check students’ understanding and stimulate discussion:

1. What was Álvaro’s question?
(Which animal could get the snack out of the cup?)

2. How did Álvaro find out which animals did best?
(He observed what the animals did.)

3. What kind of animal did best in the snack test?
(camel)

4. Which animals did worst? Why?
(Answers will vary.)

Go online to print or project the Reading Checkpoint.

 

  • Álvaro likes to see which animals want to try something new, like getting a lid off a cup.
  • Animals like sheep and gazelles are scared of new things. They are hunted in the wild. For them, new things can mean danger, so it’s smart to be scared.
  • The goats that did best on the test were the ones that were not popular with the other goats.

Materials: An animal to observe, pencils, clipboards, copies of the skill sheet.

Overview: Like Álvaro, students will observe an animal eating. Your scientists can skip the cups with lids! Just head outside, try to spot an animal, and watch it look for food. (Alternatively: Observe a tree or other item in nature, or use animal photos/videos indoors.)

Directions:

  1. Before you leave the classroom, tell students they’ll go outside to be animal scientists like Álvaro. Remind kids that Álvaro observes animals to learn about them.
  2. Give each student a clipboard, a pencil, and a copy of the skill sheet. Ask kids what animals they think they might see. Tell them that if they’re quiet, they can observe more.
  3. Head outside and look for an animal. Do they see or hear any birds, squirrels, or insects?
  4. When students spot an animal, remind them to observe quietly without touching.
  5. Is the animal eating or looking for food? If not, what is it doing?
  6. Record observations on the skill sheets.