Do Bigger Brains Make Smarter Carnivores?

This informational text resource is designed to support reading in the content area. The text describes an experiment that helps to confirm that larger brain size could indicate higher intelligence within carnivorous mammals. The experiment involved 140 animals and each was given the same task of retrieving food from a locked box within 30 minutes. The results of the test show that having a larger brain really does improve an animal’s ability to solve a problem it has never encountered before.
Resource ID#: 155407 Type: Text Resource
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General Information

Subject(s): English Language Arts, Science
Grade Level(s): 9, 10
Intended Audience: Educators educators
Resource supports reading in content area:Yes
Keywords: text complexity, informational text, mammalian carnivores, cognitive ability in animals, brain evolution, social brain hypothesis, brain
Instructional Component Type(s): Text Resource
Resource Collection: STEM Reading Resources

Aligned Standards

This vetted resource aligns to concepts or skills in these benchmarks.

1 Lesson Plan

Size Does Matter: Brain Size in Mammalian Carnivores

This lesson is designed to support reading in the content area. In this lesson, students will analyze an informational text that describes a recent experiment that helps to prove that larger brain size could indicate higher intelligence within carnivorous mammals. The research was conducted at nine U.S. zoos and included 140 animals from 39 mammalian carnivore species. The lesson plan includes text-dependent questions, a writing prompt, sample answers, and a writing rubric.

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Lesson Plan

Size Does Matter: Brain Size in Mammalian Carnivores:

This lesson is designed to support reading in the content area. In this lesson, students will analyze an informational text that describes a recent experiment that helps to prove that larger brain size could indicate higher intelligence within carnivorous mammals. The research was conducted at nine U.S. zoos and included 140 animals from 39 mammalian carnivore species. The lesson plan includes text-dependent questions, a writing prompt, sample answers, and a writing rubric.

Type: Lesson Plan