STAAR CONNECTION™ DI 8 Reading.pdf4 The arctic tundra's summertime bogs attract many mammals. Predators like arctic foxes and polar bears coexist with herbivores like snowshoe hares

S T A A R C O N N E C T I O N ™

Reading

8Teacher Edition

Diagnostic Series™

KAMICO®Instructional Media, Inc.

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KAMICO® Instructional Media, Inc.STAAR CONNECTION™

Diagnostic Series™Grade 8 ReadingTable of Contents

Reporting Categories and Related TEKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Assessment 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Assessment 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Assessment 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Assessment 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Assessment 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Assessment 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Assessment 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Assessment 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Assessment 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Assessment 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Assessment 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Assessment 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Assessment 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Assessment 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Assessment 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Student Bubble Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147Bubble Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

TEKS Reading Alignment Chart and Cross-Curricular Alignments (Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, and Technology) . . . . . . . . 151

Student Progress Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Letter to Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160Test-Taking Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Strategies for Reducing Your Students' Test Anxiety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

KAMICO® Product Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

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Assessment

Name ___________________________________________ Date ______________________

Discovering Biology Unit 3

Chapter 12

Life ZonesAs you know, the weather where

you live changes on a daily basis.However, the climate where you livestays essentially the same. Climate isthe general pattern of weather for aregion of the earth. Climates usuallychange extremely slowly, althoughsudden climatic changes can occur.Within every climate on the earth,complex relationships exist amongplants, animals, and the land itself.The structure of these relationships isdetermined not only by the climate,but also by other environmentalinfluences such as elevation, type ofsoil, available water resources, andterrain. All of these factors combine toform what scientists call a biome.

There are seven major biomes, or"life zones," that are found throughoutthe world. Although the nature ofthese life zones is determined by manyfactors, they are often labeledaccording to the types of plant lifefound there. The seven major biomesare tropical rain forests, deciduousforests, coniferous forests, grasslands,deserts, chaparrals, and tundras. Eachof these biomes is fascinating,complex, and beautiful.

Tropical Rain Forests

Tropical rain forests are found inCentral and South America, Africa,Asia, and Australia. They are typicallyhot, steamy, and wet. Anomnipresent thick canopy of treesthat can reach as tall as 160 feetcompletely shades the vegetatedground below. Rainfall is heavy and isresponsible for stripping the soil ofmost of its nutrients. Thus, many ofthe plants have developed adaptationsfor storing nutrients within theirtissues and surviving with littlesunlight.

The rain forests represent one ofthe most complex biomes on the earth,in part because of the sheernumber of plant and animal speciesinhabiting them. There can be moredifferent kinds of organisms inone typical rain forest tree than in anentire coniferous forest. Based onstudies and surveys, scientistsspeculate that 75 percent of the animaland plant species of the world arelocated in tropical rain forests,although this number may be muchhigher. It is likely that thousands ofspecies of rain forest animals have

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General Location of Major Biomes ofNorth and South America


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yet to be identified, and scientists areconstantly exploring this species-richbiome for new discoveries. Some ofthe mammals that live in the rainforests are gorillas, sloths, jaguars,wild pigs, and many species of bats.

Deciduous Forests

Much of the forestland in theUnited States is made up of deciduousforests. This life zone is also found inparts of Europe, Asia, and Australia.These forests are dominated bydeciduous trees, those that lose theirleaves during autumn. The climatetends to be moderate, with mild orcold winters and pleasant summers.Deciduous forests receive less rainfallthan tropical rain forests, and as aresult, the soil retains more nutrients.Many different types of plants growthere, such as maples, aspens, ferns,shrubs, and mosses. Also, manydifferent animals thrive in that climate.They include small mammals, largegrazers, predators, reptiles, birds, andamphibians.

Coniferous Forests

Coniferous forests are identified bythe tall, evergreen, cone-bearing treesthat grow there. There are two typesof coniferous forests. The northern, orboreal, coniferous forests are foundacross northern parts of Asia, Europe,and North America. Temperateconiferous forests are found in theUnited States, southern China,South America, Australia, and Europe.

Although winters are cold and longin boreal coniferous forests, manyplants and animals are found there.Cone-bearing pine, fir, and sprucetrees coexist there with shrubs,mosses, and grasses. These plantssupport large grazers such as elk andmoose live there, as do smallermammals such as rabbits, red foxes,and wolverines.

In temperate coniferous forests,the climate is usually wetter andslightly warmer than in the borealconiferous forests, which means plantshave a longer growing season andmore favorable growing conditions.This may be one reason why thelargest trees on the earth, California'sgiant sequoias, grow in temperateforests. Not all trees in temperateconiferous forests are giants, however.Pines and cedars also grow in thosebiomes. These plants provide bothfood and shelter for a variety of smallmammals such as raccoons andporcupines, in addition to manyspecies of birds.

Grasslands

Grasslands, as the name suggests,are lands dominated by grassyvegetation. Some trees and shrubsmay be found there, but most space isoccupied by huge expanses of grasses.Grasslands cover almost 25 percent ofthe earth's land surface and are foundon every continent except Antarctica.They are also called prairies, savannas,steppes, or pampas.


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Grassland regions usually receiveless than forty inches of rainfall peryear, and wildfires are common duringvery dry seasons. These fires are notentirely destructive, however. Theyoften stop approaching forests fromextending their boundaries intograssland regions. They also permitcertain grass seeds to open.Herbivores that live in grasslands haveto be well suited to eating the plantsthat grow there, which tend to be hardto digest. Thus, grasslands are hometo many large grazers, like bison andzebras. Small herbivores, like prairiedogs and mice, and carnivores, likehawks, snakes, lions, and tigers, alsolive in grasslands.

Deserts

Desert biomes generally receive nomore than ten inches of rainfall in anyone year. There is seldom cloud coverover a desert region, which meansthere is nothing to block the sunduring the day or to retain warmth atnight. Consequently, days are blazinghot, and nights can be bitter cold.Some of the world's largest desertsinclude the Sahara in Africa, theAtacama in South America, and theGobi in Asia.

Contrary to popular belief, plant lifeis often found in many deserts, andanimal life is varied. Most plantspecies inhabiting deserts have small,waxy leaves or prickly thorns andseedy fruits. Animal life includeskangaroo rats and other rodents,lizards and other reptiles, coyotes,arachnids, and many types of birds.

Chaparrals

Chaparrals, like deserts, arecharacterized by climates of long, hot,dry summers. However, since thesebiomes are often near the coast,chaparrals' winters tend to be milder.Australia, southern South America,South Africa, California, and theMediterranean region all contain toughchaparral biomes. Plants there haveskins to prevent water loss due toevaporation. Brush fires are common.Like in grasslands, however, chaparralfires serve to cleanse decayed plantgrowth and litter from the ground andto rejuvenate the soil with nutrientsnecessary for stimulating new growth.Like the plants in chaparrals, animals inthis biome have also adapted to thedry climate. These animals includebirds, rabbits, lizards, and snakes.

Tundras

Tundras, found in the northern andmountainous regions of the world, aresubjected to harsh winters andrelatively short growing seasons.What little precipitation tundras receiveoccurs as snowfall. Tundras arecharacterized by the layer ofpermanently frozen ground, calledpermafrost, that lies directly beneaththe vegetated soil. The topsoil,inhabited by short plants like cottongrass, sedges, and moss, usuallyremains soggy during the summerwhen the topmost layers of permafrostthaw. This vegetation is sufficient tosupport large herbivores, like caribou,and smaller ones, like snowshoe hares,which in turn provide food for tundras'carnivores, like wolves.


15 These criteria are merely a simpleoutline of the earth's biomes. Theycan be further divided. Grasslands anddeserts can be temperate or tropical,for example. Furthermore, more thanone biome may be present in a

relatively small area, such as on amountain. However, the classificationsdescribed here are a useful startingplace for learning about our world andits inhabitants.


The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra

1 One of the most fascinating and least understood parts of our planet isthe harsh and desolate biome known as the tundra. Tundras are cold andtreeless regions. Both altitude and latitude can play a part in determiningwhether an area has the characteristics of a tundra. Most tundras are locatedin the far northern regions of the planet, above, around, and just below theArctic Circle; these are called arctic tundras. However, tundras can also occurfar below the Arctic Circle in mountainous areas above elevations where treescan grow—typically above 10,000 feet. These subarctic tundras are calledalpine tundras.

Arctic Tundras

2 Although arctic tundras may seem barren, lifeless, and, in a way,desertlike, this environment actually supports an impressive level ofbiodiversity. Scientists estimate there are some 1700 different plants thatgrow in arctic tundras, a surprising figure considering that the summergrowing season lasts only between fifty and sixty days. During this time,plants take advantage of the increased sunlight and relative warmth to growand reproduce quickly. When summer ends, many of these plants either dieor go dormant, ceasing to grow until the next summer growing season.

3 One defining characteristic of both arctic and alpine tundras ispermafrost. Permafrost is an area of frozen ground. Permafrost is actually acombination of frozen soil, dead plants, and other organic materials. It canextend more than 1400 feet deep into the earth. Although the deepest partsof permafrost are permanently frozen, the surface can temporarily thaw duringthe short summer, allowing plants to grow. Also during the summer, meltedsnow and the thawing permafrost forms bogs and small ponds. These bodiesof water form because the frozen ground does not drain well. They attract avariety of mammals, birds, and insects. A bog is a wet, moist area that cantypically be walked upon. During extremely wet times, though, if you were towalk in a bog, you might sink into the wet, spongy earth. Once bogsrefreeze, plants die and decay, becoming part of the permafrost.

4 The arctic tundra's summertime bogs attract many mammals. Predatorslike arctic foxes and polar bears coexist with herbivores like snowshoe haresand caribou. All these animals come to the bogs and ponds to drink andsearch for food. These animals have adapted to the harsh conditions of thearctic. Some animals have additional layers of fat. A few species hibernateduring the harshest parts of the winter. Furthermore, arctic animals mate andbear their young quickly during the brief summer, giving their offspring thebest chance for survival.


5 The arctic tundra is also a temporary home to thousands of migratorybirds. They come to the boggy permafrost during the short summers, withsome of them choosing to nest there, laying eggs and raising their younghatchlings. One of these birds, the arctic tern, travels from its winteringgrounds in Antarctica to its summer nesting site in the Arctic. Ornithologists,scientists with an expertise in birds, think that the arctic tern may travel asmuch as 25,000 miles a year, the longest distance of any migratory bird.

6 In 1960, the United States established the Arctic National Wildlife Refugeto protect the arctic tundra area of northern Alaska and to protect the plantsand animals that live there. According to those who manage the refuge, theland throughout the area supports an abundant variety of life. Biologists havefound forty-two species of fish, thirty-seven types of land mammals, eightmarine mammals, and more than two hundred species of birds that either liveyear-round on the refuge or migrate to it.

Alpine Tundras

7 Though they share many features with arctic tundras, alpine tundras havesome distinctly different characteristics. Where arctic tundras can be wet andboggy during summer months, alpine tundras are typically composed of soilthat drains better and is therefore drier. In addition, being further south, thegrowing season lasts longer in alpine tundras. In fact, the alpine growingseason is almost three times as long as the arctic growing season: plants areable to grow for about 180 days. The nighttime temperatures, however, likethose in arctic tundras, usually dip below freezing, even in the summer.

8 Generally, the plants in the alpine tundra are similar to those in the arctic. The majority of them are dwarfed in nature and adapted to the harshenvironment. In such a harsh place, a tall plant like a tree would freeze or beknocked over by the wind. As a result, plants in the tundra have adapted togrow to a much smaller size. Most plants in alpine tundras hug the groundclosely and are perennials, or plants that come back year-to-year.

9 Animals in alpine tundras bear many similarities to and a few differencesfrom animals in arctic tundras. For example, as in arctic tundras, alpineanimals have developed certain characteristics to cope with the harshenvironment. For one, they typically have short legs, tails, and ears in order tolessen heat loss from their bodies. Also as in arctic tundras, no cold-bloodedvertebrates live in alpine tundras; only warm-blooded vertebrates, which haveinternally regulated body heat, can adapt and survive in these conditions. However, animals of alpine tundras do differ somewhat from animals of thearctic. For example, alpine animals tend to have larger lungs, more blood cells,and more hemoglobin in their blood to counteract the lower levels ofoxygen in the high-altitude environment.


The Next Frontier

10 Most people think the arctic and the very tops of mountains are cold,snowy, desolate places. While they may be cold and snowy during the harshwinter months, both arctic and alpine tundras support a wide variety of plantsand animals. The variation in altitudes marks one of the significant differencesbetween the two regions, but the plants that grow in these areas aresomewhat similar in nature. The animals that live in tundras have evolved todeal with the extreme environment. This biome represents one that needsfurther exploration so that humans can better understand it and the role itplays in our planet's ecosystem.

Middle School Summer Research Opportunity(MSSRO)

from Haswell College Biology Department

This program gives outstanding eighth-gradestudents the chance of a lifetime: the opportunityto get hands-on learning in the wild Alaskan tundra. Learn about this fragile biome, the plants andanimals that live and grow there.

An annual program established in 1984, Haswell'sMSSRO lets budding scientists work alongsideprofessors and researchers at one of the top tundraresearch institutions in the nation.

Our goal is to get more students involved with science,hopefully shaping students' lives and fostering a love forscience and a lifelong interest in learning. Over 85 percentof our program alumni have gone on to major in science incollege, and 70 percent have earned their Bachelor's ofScience degrees.

Please contact the program director, Dr. Henrietta House,for more information and to see if you qualify, or visit ourwebsite at www.haswellcollege.edu/MSSRO/info.

Dr. Henrietta [email protected]

(834) 555-6704


Use "Life Zones" to answer questions 1 through 3.

1 Which of the following best describes the organization of paragraphs 2through 14?

A presenting a problem and then offering several solutions to that problem

B ranking biomes in order from most beautiful to least beautiful

C dividing a topic into subtopics and discussing each part individually

D describing events in the order in which the events occur


2 Which of the following is the best summary of this selection?

F There are seven major biomes throughout the world, and within each ofthese, there exists a unique relationship among climate, animals, plants,and land. Each contains a rich and varied plant and animal population,but the biomes are often identified by the type of plant life thatdominates them: tropical rain forests, deciduous forests, coniferousforests, grasslands, deserts, chaparrals, and tundras. Although thesedivisions are simplified, they provide a good framework for studying theearth and its life zones.

G Perhaps the most complex biome on the earth is the tropical rain forest. Besides an abundance of diverse plant and animal life, this biome ischaracterized by its hot, steamy, and wet climate. Besides the familiargorillas, sloths, jaguars, wild pigs, and bats, there are thousands ofspecies of animals in these forests that have yet to be identified. Tropical rain forests can be found in Central and South America, Africa,Asia, and Australia.

H Deciduous forests cover large parts of the United States, Europe, andAsia and some parts of Australia. Although many types of plants growthere, they are dominated by deciduous trees, which are trees that losetheir leaves every autumn. Coniferous forests can also be found in theUnited States. These forests are dominated by cone-bearing evergreentrees. There are two types of coniferous forests: boreal forests, whichgrow in northern climates, and temperate forests, which grow in themilder regions of the globe.

J Climate is the general weather pattern for a region of the planet. Weather can change from day to day, but a region's climate tends tostay basically the same. However, a region's climate may change. Whilethese changes usually occur very slowly, occasionally they occur veryquickly. In some places, the climate may be wet and hot, while in otherplaces, the climate may be dry and cold.


3 Read the diagram. It shows some cause-and-effect relationships discussed inthe passage.

Which of the following best completes the diagram?

A Deciduous forests are found across Europe, Asia, and parts of Australia.

B Deciduous forests receive less rainfall than tropical rain forests.

C Temperate coniferous forests are wetter and warmer thanboreal coniferous forests.

D Much of the land in the United States is made up of deciduous forests.


Use "The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra" to answer questions 4 through 6.

4 Look at the ad for the summer research program at Haswell College. Howdoes the ad's writer try to persuade students to participate in the program?

F The writer states that the program is open to anyone who is interested inparticipating.

G The writer tells students that the program will help them get into thecollege that they choose.

H The writer explains that students need to visit the tundra while they can,before it disappears because of global warming.

J The writer shows that the program has credibility by pointing out thepeople involved with it and how long the program has been around.

5 What does the word coexist mean in paragraph 4?

A are not alive

B live together in the same place

C live before something else

D create something together


6 Look at the outline.

Which of the following belongs in the blank?

F Alpine tundra plants are taller than arctic tundra plants.

G Alpine tundra temperatures are colder at night than arctic tundratemperatures.

H Alpine tundras are drier during the summer than arctic tundras.

J There are more plants in alpine tundras than in arctic tundras.


Use "Life Zones" and "The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra" to answer questions 7 and 8.

7 How are the purposes of these two selections different?

A "Life Zones" was written to inform readers about different biomes onearth, including the tundras, but "The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra"was written to inform readers specifically about tundras.

B "Life Zones" was written to inform readers about how tundras differ fromone another, but "The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra" was written toinform readers about how tundras differ from other biomes.

C "Life Zones" was written to persuade readers to learn to stay away fromtundras, but "The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra" was written topersuade readers to visit tundras.

D "Life Zones" was written to persuade readers to work to protect allbiomes, but "The Wonders of the Frozen Tundra" was written topersuade readers to work to save tundras.

8 After reading both selections, the reader can tell that —

F alpine tundras can be found in South America.

G arctic tundras can be found in South America.

H no tundras can be found in North America.

J arctic tundras can be found in Africa.


STAAR CONNECTION™ Diagnostic Series™ Grade 8 Reading

TEKS Reading Alignment Chart and Cross-Curricular Alignments

KAMICO® supports cross-curricular teaching strategies and encourages efforts to apply,transfer, and integrate knowledge across multiple content areas. Therefore, manyassessments in this reading book reinforce at least one grade 8 physical education,technology, social studies, and/or science TEKS.

For each grade or course, TEA has identified some of the TEKS eligible to be assessed onSTAAR as readiness standards. These readiness standards will be emphasized on the STAARassessments. The remaining TEKS eligible to be assessed on STAAR are consideredsupporting standards. Although supporting standards will be assessed, they will not beemphasized on STAAR. KAMICO® has shown whether each question assessed in this book isaligned to a readiness standard or a supporting standard. Readiness standards

• are essential for success in the current grade or course,• are important for preparedness for the next grade or course,• support college and career readiness,• necessitate in-depth instruction, and• address broad and deep ideas.

Supporting standards, although introduced in the current grade or course,

• may be emphasized in a subsequent year,• may be emphasized in a previous year,• play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role, and• address more narrowly defined ideas.

AssessmentQuestionNumber

AnswerReportingCategory

TEKSReadiness or Supporting

Standard

1 C 3 10C Readiness

2 F33

10AFig. 19E

ReadinessReadiness

3 B333

10AFig. 19DFig. 19E

ReadinessReadinessReadiness

4 J 3 13C Supporting

5 B 1 2A Readiness

6 H333

10AFig. 19DFig. 19E

ReadinessReadinessReadiness

7 A 1 9A Supporting

8 F 1 Fig. 19F Readiness

Cross-Curricular Alignments

Science TEKS 11A, 11B


Documents

STAAR CONNECTION™ DI 8 Reading.pdf4 The arctic tundra's summertime bogs attract many mammals. Predators like arctic foxes and polar bears coexist with herbivores like snowshoe hares