Shutterstock.com (background); Courtesy of Sam Trull/The Sloth Institute (sloth)

Rescue in the Rainforest

In a Costa Rican jungle, a young sloth hovers near death. Her only hope is a team of humans racing to save her.

By Mackenzie Carro

From the November 2022 Issue

Learning Objective: to explore key ideas and details in a narrative nonfiction article

Lexiles: 990L, 840L

Featured Skill: Key Ideas and Details,

Other Key Skills: interpreting text, cause and effect, compare and contrast

Want to hear this story read aloud? Click here!

AS YOU READ

Think about the challenges sloths face.

Snow White lay motionless on the rainforest floor. The tiny sloth was dangerously cold, her breath weak. Alone and unconscious, she hovered near death.

Only months before, Snow White had been a thriving baby, her limbs wrapped tightly around her mother’s hairy waist as the pair made their way through the treetops of Manuel Antonio, in Costa Rica. Two types of sloths live here—two-fingered sloths and three-fingered sloths like Snow White—along with many thousands of other creatures.

As Snow White and her mother snuggled high in the leafy canopy, gold-colored squirrel monkeys leapt from tree to tree. Toucans with bright-yellow and orange beaks perched in the branches. Long-snouted anteaters snuffled through the dirt below, feasting on ants and termites, while spiny-backed iguanas the size of small dogs marched through the brush.

When Snow White was about 6 months old, she began to live on her own. As a weanling—a sloth that has just separated from its mother—she was still too young to travel far in search of food, so she spent her days in a small area, eating the leaves and fruit of just a few trees that her mother had taught her were safe.

Then disaster struck.

Snow White made her home near a hotel, and trees were being cleared in the area to keep up the property. At some point, a tree she depended on for food was likely cut down. Snow White began to starve.

As she grew increasingly malnourished, she developed a severe infection. Then a fierce rainstorm lashed the forest, chilling her to the bone. At some point, too weak to hang on, she likely fell from a tree.

Snow White, it seemed, was doomed.

Snow White lay on the rainforest floor. She did not move. The tiny sloth was dangerously cold. Her breath was weak. Alone and unconscious, she was near death.

Only months before, Snow White had been a thriving baby. She had wrapped her arms and legs tightly around her mother’s hairy waist as the pair made their way through the treetops of Manuel Antonio, in Costa Rica. Two types of sloths live here—two-fingered sloths and three-fingered sloths like Snow White. Many other creatures also live in this jungle.

As Snow White and her mother snuggled high in the leafy canopy, gold-colored squirrel monkeys leapt from tree to tree. Toucans with bright-yellow and orange beaks perched in the branches. Long-snouted anteaters sniffed through the dirt below, feasting on ants and termites. Spiny-backed iguanas the size of small dogs marched through the brush.

When Snow White was about 6 months old, she began to live on her own. She was still a weanling. That’s a sloth that has just separated from its mother and is still too young to travel far for food. So Snow White spent her days in a small area. She ate the leaves and fruit of a few trees that her mother had taught her were safe.

Then disaster struck.

Snow White made her home near a hotel. Trees were being cleared to make the area look better. At some point, a tree she depended on for food was likely cut down. Snow White began to starve.

She grew malnourished and developed a severe infection. Then a fierce rainstorm chilled her to the bone. At some point, she fell from her tree—likely too weak to hang on.

Snow White, it seemed, was doomed.

Grave Threats

When you think of sloths, what do you picture? Maybe their goofy smiles and expressive eyes. Perhaps you think of their famous slowness or their dangly arms.

Sloths are undeniably cute, and not surprisingly, they have become celebrities. You can buy sloth toys, sloth T-shirts, and sloth calendars. On TikTok, #sloth has 1 billion views and counting.

But sloths are also highly misunderstood. What looks like a smile when we greet them is simply their natural expression. When they stretch out their arms as we approach, it might appear that they want a hug, but they don’t—it’s actually a defensive position. Sloths are not social animals, and being touched by a human causes their hearts to race dangerously fast. The stress of repeated interactions with people can even shorten their lives.

Yet unwanted attention from tourists is only one of the ways humans are putting these sensitive creatures in danger. Another grave threat to sloths is the illegal pet trade. Taking sloths from the wild is against the law in many countries, including Costa Rica. But it still happens; plenty of people are willing to pay big money for a pet sloth.

Sloths, however, are wild animals, and they don’t do well in captivity. It’s estimated that up to 90 percent of sloths that are illegally caught and sold do not survive.

But the greatest threat sloths face is habitat loss. Today, rainforests throughout Central and South America—the only places on Earth where sloths are found—are rapidly disappearing because of deforestation.

In Costa Rica, large-scale deforestation has been outlawed. In fact, the country has some of the best environmental protections in the world. Still, in many parts of the country, trees that sloths depend on are cut down to make room for homes or hotels.

For a sloth, the loss of just one tree can be catastrophic. It can cause weanlings, like Snow White, to starve. Sloths that are old enough may go looking for food—and straying from their home range can put them in dangerous situations. Many end up near roads, where they can get hit by cars. Others end up on power lines.

Sloths can’t jump from tree to tree like monkeys—instead, they reach out and grab a branch to move from one tree to another. When trees are cut down, large gaps are left in the forest. This fragmentation forces sloths either to go down to the ground—where they are vulnerable to predators such as ocelots, jaguars, and dogs—or to grab onto whatever they can find. In more densely populated areas of Costa Rica, sloths often grab onto power lines strung up near trees, which can result in electrocution.

What do you picture when you think of sloths? Maybe you think of their goofy smiles and expressive eyes. Perhaps you think of their slowness or their dangly arms.

Sloths are certainly cute. They have even become celebrities. You can buy sloth toys, sloth T-shirts, and sloth calendars. On TikTok, #sloth has 1 billion views and counting.

But sloths are also very misunderstood. What looks like a smile is simply their natural expression. When they stretch out their arms as we go toward them, it might look like they want a hug. But they don’t. It’s actually a defensive position. Sloths are not social animals. Being touched by a human causes their hearts to race dangerously fast. The stress of repeated interactions with people can even shorten their lives.

However, the unwanted attention from tourists is just one of the ways humans are putting these sensitive creatures in danger. The illegal pet trade is another grave danger to sloths. Taking sloths from the wild is against the law in many countries, including Costa Rica. But it still happens. Many people are willing to pay big money for a pet sloth.

Sloths, however, are wild animals. They don’t do well in captivity. Up to 90 percent of sloths that are illegally caught and sold do not survive.

But the greatest threat sloths face is habitat loss. Sloths are found only in the rainforests of Central and South America. Today, these rainforests are rapidly disappearing because of deforestation.

In Costa Rica, large-scale deforestation has been outlawed. In fact, the country has some of the best environmental protections in the world. Yet trees that sloths depend on are sometimes cut down to make room for homes or hotels.

For a sloth, the loss of just one tree can be catastrophic. It can cause weanlings, like Snow White, to starve. Sloths that are old enough may go looking for food. But straying from their home range can be dangerous. Many end up near roads where they can get hit by cars. Others end up on power lines.

Sloths can’t jump from tree to tree like monkeys. Instead, sloths reach out and grab a branch to move from one tree to another. When trees are cut down, large gaps are left in the forest. This fragmentation forces sloths to do one of two things. They might go down to the ground. Then they are vulnerable to predators such as ocelots, jaguars, and dogs. Or they might grab onto whatever they can find. In more densely populated areas of Costa Rica, sloths often grab onto power lines near trees. This can result in electrocution.

Sloth Superpowers

Sloths have been on Earth for almost 64 million years. These amazing traits have helped them survive.

The Rescue

On May 17, 2021, a hotel worker spotted Snow White’s motionless body in the dirt. Thankfully, he knew exactly what to do: call The Sloth Institute (TSI).

Located just outside Manuel Antonio National Park, TSI is a special organization dedicated to caring for injured, sick, and orphaned sloths. Since its founding in 2014, TSI has rescued and released about 400 of them. If there was anywhere Snow White could be saved, it would be at TSI.

After receiving the call, the TSI team raced to the scene. They gently wrapped Snow White’s frail body in a blanket and then rushed the sloth back to their headquarters.

“Her heart rate was so low that it was barely noticeable with a stethoscope,” recalls Amanda Orens, who cared for Snow White. “I didn’t think she would make it.”

Orens and the rest of the team worked around the clock. They warmed the young sloth with heating pads. They fed her sugar because she was too weak even to chew leaves. They gave her medicine to fight the infection raging through her body.

For the first night, Orens stayed by Snow White’s side.

But the outlook was grim.

On May 17, 2021, a hotel worker spotted Snow White’s motionless body in the dirt. Thankfully, he knew exactly what to do. He called The Sloth Institute (TSI).

TSI is located just outside Manuel Antonio National Park. The organization is dedicated to caring for injured, sick, and orphaned sloths. It was founded in 2014. Since then, TSI has rescued and released about 400 sloths. If there was anywhere Snow White could be saved, it would be at TSI.

After receiving the call, the TSI team raced to the scene. They gently wrapped Snow White’s frail body in a blanket. Then they rushed the sloth back to their headquarters.

“Her heart rate was so low that it was barely noticeable with a stethoscope,” recalls Amanda Orens, who cared for Snow White. “I didn’t think she would make it.”

Orens and the rest of the team worked around the clock. They warmed the young sloth with heating pads. She was too weak to chew leaves, so they fed her sugar. They also gave her medicine to fight an infection.

For the first night, Orens stayed by Snow White’s side.

But the outlook was grim.

Complex Ecosystems

When a sloth dies, it is not only a tragedy for the sloth. It is also a tragedy for the ecosystem in which the sloth lives.

Like all creatures, sloths play an important role in their environment. For example, they serve as prey for other animals, such as jaguars and harpy eagles. By protecting sloths, we ensure the survival of the animals that depend on sloths for food.

And that’s not all.

A sloth’s body is itself an ecosystem. Sloths move incredibly slowly; it can take them a whole minute to move less than 10 feet. As a result, all sorts of organisms make their homes on sloths’ bodies.

One type of algae lives nowhere on the planet except on sloth fur. A kind of moth also makes its home on the sloth. When the moths die, their bodies decompose in the sloth’s fur, providing a meal for the algae.

This complex ecosystem even includes organisms that could be used to treat deadly human illnesses. One fungus, for instance, has been found to help fight cancer.

The crucial role sloths play in the rainforest is just one of many reasons the staff at TSI works tirelessly to save sloths like Snow White.

When a sloth dies, it is not only a tragedy for the sloth. It is also a tragedy for the ecosystem in which the sloth lives.

Like all creatures, sloths play an important role in their environment. For example, they serve as prey for other animals, such as jaguars and harpy eagles. By protecting sloths, we help animals that depend on sloths for food to survive.

And that’s not all.

A sloth’s body is itself an ecosystem. Sloths move very slowly. It can take them a whole minute to move less than 10 feet. As a result, all sorts of organisms make their homes on sloths’ bodies.

One type of algae lives nowhere on the planet except on sloth fur. A kind of moth also makes its home on the sloth. When the moths die, their bodies decompose in the sloth’s fur. This provides a meal for the algae.

This complex ecosystem includes organisms that could be used to treat deadly human illnesses. One fungus, for instance, has been found to help fight cancer.

The crucial role sloths play in the rainforest is just one of many reasons the staff at TSI works tirelessly to save sloths like Snow White.

Shutterstock.com

WHY RAINFORESTS MATTER

And how to stop them from disappearing

Today, rainforests around the world are in danger. Last year, some 27 million acres were lost worldwide. That’s an area about the size of 10 soccer fields disappearing every minute. In many cases, trees are cleared to make room to raise livestock, or to grow crops—especially soybeans and oil palm trees. If deforestation continues at the current rate, tropical forests could vanish within the next 100 years.

Preserving these ecosystems is critical. Rainforests are home to more than half of all plant and animal species on Earth. They provide much of the water we drink, the medicines we take, and the foods we eat. Rainforests also help in the fight against climate change: Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a gas that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere.

Saving rainforests will require action all around the world. In places where deforestation has been on the rise, like Brazil and Bolivia, more laws must be passed to protect the forests. The laws already in place must be better enforced.

Here in the U.S., one of the most effective actions people can take is to urge companies that make products containing soy or palm oil to protect the rainforests. (Soy and palm oil are found in a variety of foods. They are also found in products ranging from shampoo to candles.) Letting your favorite brands know that you care is a powerful way to help stop deforestation.

Shutterstock.com

WHY RAINFORESTS MATTER

And how to stop them from disappearing

Today, rainforests around the world are in peril. Last year, some 27 million acres were lost worldwide. That’s an area about the size of 10 soccer fields disappearing every minute. In many cases, trees are cleared to make room to raise livestock, as well as to grow crops—especially soybeans and oil palm trees. If deforestation continues at the current rate, tropical forests could vanish within the next 100 years.

Saving rainforests will require action all around the world. In places where deforestation has been on the rise, like Brazil and Bolivia, more laws must be passed to protect the forests, and laws already in place must be better enforced.

Here in the U.S., one of the most effective actions people can take is to urge companies that make products containing soy or palm oil to protect the rainforests. (Soy and palm oil are found in a variety of foods, as well as in products ranging from shampoo to candles.) Letting your favorite brands know that you care is a powerful way to help stop deforestation.

Small Improvements

In the days after her arrival at TSI, Snow White made small improvements. She started drinking on her own and even had the strength to nibble on a few leaves that zoologist Sam Trull, co-founder of TSI, hand-fed her.

Still, her condition remained serious, and caregivers could not be certain that she would make it.

It wasn’t until a week later, when Snow White began grooming herself, that it seemed likely she would survive.

In the days after her arrival at TSI, Snow White made small improvements. She started drinking on her own. She even gained the strength to nibble on a few leaves that zoologist Sam Trull, co-founder of TSI, hand-fed her.

Still, her condition remained serious. Her caregivers were not certain that she would make it.

But a week later, when Snow White began grooming herself, it seemed likely she would survive.

Sloth School

With her health improved, Snow White was ready to start “sloth school,” a key part of rehabilitation that prepares the animals to return to the rainforest.

Sloths that come to TSI as orphaned babies have a lot to learn before they can be released—including how to find food, where to sleep, and how to climb safely. TSI caretakers hang leaves on a clothesline so the baby sloths can practice sniffing and grabbing. To help the babies become comfortable in the forest, caretakers place them in a large outdoor pen. The babies gradually spend more and more time outside the pen until they’re ready to stay outside of it for good. It can take years to teach sloths orphaned as babies the skills they need to survive in the wild.

As a weanling, however, Snow White was further along in her education. She had already spent months in the rainforest with her mother learning critical survival skills. So her main “assignments” at sloth school were to grow big and strong. Her caregivers filled her enclosure with blankets for comfort and provided delicious leaves and fruit for her to snack on.

The staff watched her progress with awe.

“There was a renewed spark in her eyes, and she looked like a completely different sloth,” says Orens. “I still can’t get over the transformation.”

After her health improved, Snow White was ready to start “sloth school.” It’s a key part of rehabilitation that prepares the animals to return to the rainforest.

Sloths that come to TSI as orphaned babies have a lot to learn before they can be released. They must learn how to find food, where to sleep, and how to climb safely.

TSI caretakers hang leaves on a clothesline so the baby sloths can practice sniffing and grabbing. To help the babies become comfortable in the forest, caretakers place them in a large outdoor pen. The babies gradually spend more and more time outside the pen until they’re ready to stay outside of it for good. Teaching sloths orphaned as babies how to survive in the wild can take years.

As a weanling, however, Snow White was further along in her education. She had already spent months in the rainforest learning survival skills from her mother. So her main “assignments” at sloth school were to grow big and strong.

Her caregivers filled her enclosure with blankets for comfort. They provided delicious leaves and fruit for her to snack on. The staff watched her progress with awe.

“There was a renewed spark in her eyes, and she looked like a completely different sloth,” says Orens. “I still can’t get over the transformation.”

How to Help Sloths

Three simple things you can do to help sloths

Lukas Kovarik/Shutterstock.com

Speak Up

Share what you’ve learned about sloths—and how to protect them—on social media. And never like or share a post featuring a person holding a sloth!

Speak Up

Share what you’ve learned about sloths—and how to protect them—on social media. And never like or share a post featuring a person holding a sloth!

Raise Money

Hold a car wash, bake sale, or another fund-raiser in support of sloths. Donate the money you collect to an organization that is working to protect sloths or their rainforest habitats.

Raise Money

Hold a car wash, bake sale, or another fund-raiser in support of sloths. Donate the money you collect to an organization that is working to protect sloths or their rainforest habitats.

Be a Smart Tourist
If you have the opportunity to see a sloth in person, do so responsibly. Avoid encounters that allow you to touch or take a photo with a sloth. The animals should be observed only from a distance.

Long-Term Solutions

Rehabilitating sloths and returning them to the wild is not the only way to help them. For sloths to be truly safe, the problems that put them in danger in the first place need to be solved.

Large-scale destruction of sloth habitats is too big a problem for one organization to fix. But TSI has taken important steps to protect sloths in Costa Rica.

Currently, TSI is working with the country’s main electricity provider to help reduce electrocutions by installing devices that discourage animals from climbing on power lines. TSI is also building “sloth speedways” in parts of the forest that have become fragmented because of tree loss. The speedways consist of ropes hung from tree to tree that sloths and other animals can use to travel safely.

Rehabilitating sloths and returning them to the wild is not the only way to help them. For sloths to be truly safe, the problems that put them in danger need to be solved.

Large-scale destruction of sloth habitats is too big a problem for one organization to fix. But TSI has taken important steps to protect sloths in Costa Rica.

Currently, TSI is working with the country’s main electricity provider to install devices that discourage animals from climbing on power lines. This helps reduce electrocutions. TSI is also building “sloth speedways” in parts of the forest that have become fragmented because of tree loss. The speedways consist of ropes hung from tree to tree. Sloths and other animals can use them to travel through the forest safely.

Fairy-Tale Ending?

So did Snow White get her fairy-tale ending?

The young sloth progressed remarkably fast, says Orens. After about a month, she had new fur sprouting all over her body—a sign of health. She had also gained weight and become fiercely independent.

As the weeks passed, “she made it clear she didn’t want any assistance,” Orens recalls.

Eventually, the time came for Snow White to go home.

And so on a warm summer day, nine months after she was found on the brink of death, Snow White was placed in a soft canvas bag and brought to a forested area not far from TSI. The location would allow staffers to keep an eye on her to make sure she was thriving. Eventually, they knew, Snow White would experience a natural urge to move further into the forest.

The team placed the bag near the trunk of a sturdy tree and opened it. They watched as Snow White began a slow climb up into the canopy.

“I felt incredibly happy to release her,” Orens recalls. “I knew with every bone in my body she was going to succeed.”

Today, thanks to the team at TSI, Snow White is probably peacefully snacking on leaves somewhere deep in the Costa Rican rainforest.

Healthy.

Thriving.

Home.

So did Snow White get her fairy-tale ending?

The young sloth progressed remarkably fast, says Orens. After about a month, she had new fur sprouting all over her body. That’s a sign of health. She had also gained weight and become fiercely independent.

As the weeks passed, “she made it clear she didn’t want any assistance,” Orens recalls.

Eventually, the time came for Snow White to go home.

And so, nine months after she was found on the brink of death, Snow White was placed in a soft canvas bag and brought to a forested area not far from TSI.

The location would allow staffers to keep an eye on her to make sure she was thriving. Eventually, they knew, Snow White would experience a natural urge to move further into the forest.

The team placed the bag near the trunk of a sturdy tree and opened it. They watched as Snow White began a slow climb up into the canopy.

“I felt incredibly happy to release her,” Orens recalls. “I knew with every bone in my body she was going to succeed.”

Today, thanks to the team at TSI, Snow White is probably peacefully snacking on leaves somewhere deep in the Costa Rican rainforest.

Healthy.

Thriving.

Home.

Writing Prompt

Why is protecting sloths and the places where they live important? Create a PSA, a poster, or a poem that answers this question.

Writing Prompt

Why is protecting sloths and the places where they live important? Create a PSA, a poster, or a poem that answers this question.

^{This article was originally published in the November 2022 issue.}

video (1)

Slideshows (2)

Audio ()

Activities (15)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

video (1)

Slideshows (2)

Audio ()

Activities (15)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Knowledge-Building Extension

5. Connected Reading

6. Support for Multilingual Learners

Essential questions: Why are rainforests valuable? What responsibility do we have for the environment? Why should we care about things that happen in faraway places?

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

Do Now: Solve a riddle. (5 minutes)

Display the following riddle for your students to solve as they enter the room:

I can hold my breath underwater for 40 minutes.

Almost no one moves more slowly than I do.

I never fart or sweat.

I poop just once a week.

Moths, roaches, and beetles live on me.

I can’t see in bright light.

Who am I?

The answer is sloths. Tell students that today they will read a story about a young, sick sloth and the humans determined to save her life.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions as a class. Highlighted words: canopy, catastrophic, deforestation, fragmentation, rehabilitation, zoologist. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity beforehand. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud are embedded in the interactive slides.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

Watch the Behind the Scenes video, in which author Mackenzie Carro talks about her writing and research process. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or as a class.

Do Now: Solve a riddle. (5 minutes)

Display the following riddle for your students to solve as they enter the room:

I can hold my breath underwater for 40 minutes.

Almost no one moves more slowly than I do.

I never fart or sweat.

I poop just once a week.

Moths, roaches, and beetles live on me.

I can’t see in bright light.

Who am I?

The answer is sloths. Tell students that today they will read a story about a young, sick sloth and the humans determined to save her life.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions as a class. Highlighted words: canopy, catastrophic, deforestation, fragmentation, rehabilitation, zoologist. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity beforehand. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud are embedded in the interactive slides.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (55 MINUTES)

Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 6 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to the audio read-aloud of the article while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

Why did Snow White begin to starve? (key ideas) Snow White’s home was near a hotel, and trees were being cut down to keep up the property. It’s likely that a tree she depended on for food was cut down. As a weanling, she was still too young to find new food sources.

In the introduction, author Mackenzie Carro writes that Snow White “likely fell from her tree.” What does the word likely tell you? (interpreting text) The word likely tells me that it’s not known exactly what happened to Snow White or how she ended up on the ground. But her malnourishment and illness suggest that it’s highly probable she fell from a tree.

What are some of the dangers sloths face as a result of human activity? (key ideas) Sloths are shy animals, and repeated interaction with people, such as tourists, is harmful for them—it can even shorten their lives. Another danger to sloths is the illegal pet trade. Although taking sloths from their natural habitat is illegal in many countries, it still occurs. Most sloths that become pets do not survive. The biggest danger to sloths is habitat loss; the rainforests where sloths live are disappearing because of deforestation. The loss of a single tree can cause weanlings, such as Snow White, to go hungry. Sloths that are old enough may be forced to travel far to find food, which can put them in dangerous situations. For example, they may end up near a road where they could get hit by a car, or on a power line, where they could be electrocuted.
How does the death of one sloth affect its ecosystem? (cause and effect) Sloths play an important role in the stability of the rainforest. To start, they serve as prey for other animals. So by protecting sloths, we are protecting these animals too. Additionally, many organisms, such as algae and moths, make their homes on sloths’ bodies. When a sloth dies, these organisms no longer have a home.
What steps does The Sloth Institute (TSI) take to protect sloths in Costa Rica? (key ideas) TSI is taking several steps to protect sloths. The article explains, “Currently, TSI is working with the country’s main electricity provider to help reduce electrocutions by installing devices that discourage animals from climbing on power lines. TSI is also building ‘sloth speedways’ in parts of the forest that have become fragmented because of tree loss.” The speedways consist of ropes hung between gaps in the trees. Sloths and other animals can use them to move around the forest. TSI also gives care to injured and orphaned sloths, rehabilitating the animals and preparing them to be released into the wild.
Compare and contrast Snow White at the beginning and end of the article, focusing on the sections “The Rescue” and “Fairy-Tale Ending?” (compare and contrast) At the beginning of the article, Snow White is on the brink of death. TSI staff are unsure if she will survive. Snow White is unable to do anything on her own, relying on humans to feed her and give her medicine. In contrast, at the end of the article, she is completely recovered. She is independent and healthy, and TSI staff are able to return her to the wild.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

How can people change their behavior to better protect the world’s creatures and the places in which they live? Answers will vary and may include ending deforestation, protecting animal habitats, stopping the illegal pet trade, respecting animals by not getting too close, and understanding and being sensitive to animals’ body language.
Why is it important to protect sloths? Students may offer that all creatures have intrinsic value, and it’s our responsibility to treat them with respect and care—especially when those creatures are in danger because of human activity as sloths are. What’s more, sloths are important in the ecosystem. They serve as prey for other animals, and their bodies are a habitat for certain organisms, some of which live only on sloths and nowhere else. When sloths die, these organisms suffer too.

Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 6 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to the audio read-aloud of the article while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

Why did Snow White begin to starve? (key ideas) Snow White’s home was near a hotel, and trees were being cut down to keep up the property. It’s likely that a tree she depended on for food was cut down. As a weanling, she was still too young to find new food sources.

In the introduction, author Mackenzie Carro writes that Snow White “likely fell from her tree.” What does the word likely tell you? (interpreting text) The word likely tells me that it’s not known exactly what happened to Snow White or how she ended up on the ground. But her malnourishment and illness suggest that it’s highly probable she fell from a tree.

What are some of the dangers sloths face as a result of human activity? (key ideas) Sloths are shy animals, and repeated interaction with people, such as tourists, is harmful for them—it can even shorten their lives. Another danger to sloths is the illegal pet trade. Although taking sloths from their natural habitat is illegal in many countries, it still occurs. Most sloths that become pets do not survive. The biggest danger to sloths is habitat loss; the rainforests where sloths live are disappearing because of deforestation. The loss of a single tree can cause weanlings, such as Snow White, to go hungry. Sloths that are old enough may be forced to travel far to find food, which can put them in dangerous situations. For example, they may end up near a road where they could get hit by a car, or on a power line, where they could be electrocuted.
How does the death of one sloth affect its ecosystem? (cause and effect) Sloths play an important role in the stability of the rainforest. To start, they serve as prey for other animals. So by protecting sloths, we are protecting these animals too. Additionally, many organisms, such as algae and moths, make their homes on sloths’ bodies. When a sloth dies, these organisms no longer have a home.
What steps does The Sloth Institute (TSI) take to protect sloths in Costa Rica? (key ideas) TSI is taking several steps to protect sloths. The article explains, “Currently, TSI is working with the country’s main electricity provider to help reduce electrocutions by installing devices that discourage animals from climbing on power lines. TSI is also building ‘sloth speedways’ in parts of the forest that have become fragmented because of tree loss.” The speedways consist of ropes hung between gaps in the trees. Sloths and other animals can use them to move around the forest. TSI also gives care to injured and orphaned sloths, rehabilitating the animals and preparing them to be released into the wild.
Compare and contrast Snow White at the beginning and end of the article, focusing on the sections “The Rescue” and “Fairy-Tale Ending?” (compare and contrast) At the beginning of the article, Snow White is on the brink of death. TSI staff are unsure if she will survive. Snow White is unable to do anything on her own, relying on humans to feed her and give her medicine. In contrast, at the end of the article, she is completely recovered. She is independent and healthy, and TSI staff are able to return her to the wild.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

How can people change their behavior to better protect the world’s creatures and the places in which they live? Answers will vary and may include ending deforestation, protecting animal habitats, stopping the illegal pet trade, respecting animals by not getting too close, and understanding and being sensitive to animals’ body language.
Why is it important to protect sloths? Students may offer that all creatures have intrinsic value, and it’s our responsibility to treat them with respect and care—especially when those creatures are in danger because of human activity as sloths are. What’s more, sloths are important in the ecosystem. They serve as prey for other animals, and their bodies are a habitat for certain organisms, some of which live only on sloths and nowhere else. When sloths die, these organisms suffer too.

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

Have students complete the Writing Planner: Saving Sloths. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

Have students complete the Writing Planner: Saving Sloths. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

4. KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING EXTENSION (10 MINUTES)

View a Slideshow

Give students the opportunity to learn more about the other animals mentioned in the article with the “Creatures of the Rainforest” slideshow (available at the bottom of the story page).

View a Slideshow

Give students the opportunity to learn more about the other animals mentioned in the article with the “Creatures of the Rainforest” slideshow (available at the bottom of the story page).

5. CONNECTED READING

Connected readings from the Scope archives:

Special Collection: Earth Day Every Day

Connected readings from the Scope archives:

Special Collection: Earth Day Every Day

6. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

These questions are designed to help students respond to the text at a level that’s right for them.

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

Did Snow White almost starve to death? Yes, she did.
Do sloths play an important role in their environment? Yes, they do.
Is TSI taking steps to protect sloths? Yes, it is.
Did Snow White survive? Yes, she did.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question to support their answer.

When Snow White was born, was she thriving or was she sick? When Snow White was born, she was a thriving baby.
Are sloths shy animals or social animals? Sloths are shy animals that can get stressed when people touch them.
When a sloth dies, does it affect the sloth’s entire ecosystem or just the sloth? When a sloth dies, it affects the sloth’s entire ecosystem, from animals that eat sloths to the organisms that live in the sloth’s fur.
Did TSI staff believe that Snow White would survive or were they unsure? Snow White was so ill and weak that TSI staff were unsure she could recover.
Did Snow White return to her home in the rainforest or did she stay at TSI? Once Snow White recovered, TSI staff returned her to her home in the rainforest.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

Why is the loss of trees dangerous for sloths? Sloths depend on trees for food and safety.
How did the team at TSI save Snow White? The team gave Snow White food and medicine. Once she was feeling better, they put her in sloth school, which prepares animals to return to the wild.

Language-Acquisition Springboard: Teach hard and soft /th/ sounds to boost fluency.

The article’s title includes the word the, which begins with a hard /th/ sound. The subtitle includes the word sloth, which ends with a soft /th/ sound. For new English speakers, it can be tough to know how to pronounce each th they encounter.

Demonstrate for students that with the hard th, you make a sound with your voice, while with the soft th you simply blow air through your teeth. Then practice saying the words below, which appear in the article and contain th. If the word has a hard th, have students shout it. If the word has a soft th, have them whisper it.

Words with a hard th: the, mother’s, that, then, their, they, either, clothesline, them, other

Words with a soft th: sloth, death, breath, months, through, thousands, think, stethoscope, strength, three, within, healthy, thriving, south

These questions are designed to help students respond to the text at a level that’s right for them.

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

Did Snow White almost starve to death? Yes, she did.
Do sloths play an important role in their environment? Yes, they do.
Is TSI taking steps to protect sloths? Yes, it is.
Did Snow White survive? Yes, she did.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question to support their answer.

When Snow White was born, was she thriving or was she sick? When Snow White was born, she was a thriving baby.
Are sloths shy animals or social animals? Sloths are shy animals that can get stressed when people touch them.
When a sloth dies, does it affect the sloth’s entire ecosystem or just the sloth? When a sloth dies, it affects the sloth’s entire ecosystem, from animals that eat sloths to the organisms that live in the sloth’s fur.
Did TSI staff believe that Snow White would survive or were they unsure? Snow White was so ill and weak that TSI staff were unsure she could recover.
Did Snow White return to her home in the rainforest or did she stay at TSI? Once Snow White recovered, TSI staff returned her to her home in the rainforest.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

Why is the loss of trees dangerous for sloths? Sloths depend on trees for food and safety.
How did the team at TSI save Snow White? The team gave Snow White food and medicine. Once she was feeling better, they put her in sloth school, which prepares animals to return to the wild.

Language-Acquisition Springboard: Teach hard and soft /th/ sounds to boost fluency.

Words with a hard th: the, mother’s, that, then, their, they, either, clothesline, them, other

Words with a soft th: sloth, death, breath, months, through, thousands, think, stethoscope, strength, three, within, healthy, thriving, south

Text-to-Speech

Rescue in the Rainforest

WHY RAINFORESTS MATTER

WHY RAINFORESTS MATTER

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Knowledge-Building Extension

5. Connected Reading

6. Support for Multilingual Learners

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (55 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

4. KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING EXTENSION (10 MINUTES)

5. CONNECTED READING

6. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Help/Support

Help/Support

About Us

Subscriber Information

Rescue in the Rainforest

WHY RAINFORESTS MATTER

WHY RAINFORESTS MATTER

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read 2. Reading and Discussing 3. Skill Building and Writing 4. Knowledge-Building Extension 5. Connected Reading 6. Support for Multilingual Learners

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (55 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

4. KNOWLEDGE-BUILDING EXTENSION (10 MINUTES)

5. CONNECTED READING

6. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Help/Support

Help/Support

About Us

Subscriber Information

Connect with Us

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Knowledge-Building Extension

5. Connected Reading

6. Support for Multilingual Learners