reading mini-assessment grade 4 la.a.2.2.8...

Reading Mini-Assessment Grade 4LA.A.2.2.8 Reference Form A

School Board of Broward County, 2005 of 58/8/05

What Makes a Bird a Bird?By May Garelick

In trees and in bushes, at the edge of abrook, on the ground, and in the air,birds are flying, singing, calling, bathing,nesting. How do we know that a bird is abird? What makes it a bird? Is it a bird because it flies? A fly flies. So do butterflies,ladybugs, dragonflies, and bees. Butthese are not birds. They are insects. Many insects fly. Not as fast asbirds, not as far as birds, but manyinsects fly. A bat flies, too, but it is not a bird. Allday bats hang upside down, asleep inhollow trees or in caves. At night theyfly, catching insects to eat as they flyaround. Bats fly, insects fly, birds fly, andother things fly, too. Did you know that there is even afish that flies? Like all fish, a flying fishlives most of the time in water. But if anenemy comes near, it can jump up outof the water, dart through the air, andescape. Flying fish don’t fly high and theydon’t fly far, but they fly higher andfarther than some birds. If there are flying insects, flying bats,and even flying fish, then it’s not flyingthat makes a bird a bird. As a matter of fact, you know a birdthat doesn’t fly. Have you ever seen a chicken fly?Hardly ever. Sometimes a chicken triesto fly. But it doesn’t get far. To getanywhere a chicken walks. Is a chicken a bird? Yes.

Another bird that doesn’t fly is theostrich. It’s the biggest bird in the world, but itcan’t fly. An ostrich can run fast,though—even faster than a horse. Nowonder. It has very long legs. That’swhy the ostrich is such a fast runner.

Can you think of another bird that can’tfly?



A penguin can’t fly. Penguins walk.Down to the water they waddle, and intothe sea for a swim.

If the ostrich can’t fly, and penguins andchickens can’t fly, what makes thembirds? Are they birds because they havewings? Birds have wings, all right. But lookat a fly flying around. You can see itswings. And dragonflies and butterfliesand bees have wings, too. Not all insects have wings, but thosethat fly have to have wings. Then what about a chicken and anostrich? They have wings, but do notfly. Why? Their wings are too small tolift their bodies up in the air. The penguin’s little wings are likeflippers. They’re fine for swimming, buttoo small to lift the penguin up into theair. Is a bird a thing that sings? Birds sing and call to each other,especially in the spring. Some birdssing, some birds call, some cluck, somequack. That’s how birds talk to eachother.

Birds sing and call messages to eachother. But singing and calling is notwhat makes a bird a bird. Lots of insects sing and call theirmessages to each other, too. Then what is the special thing thatmakes a bird a bird? Birds build nests in trees, in bushes,under eaves, in barns. Sometimes theyeven build nests in mailboxes —wherever their eggs and their babies willbe safe. Birds’ eggs must be kept warm inorder to hatch. The nest and themother’s body keep the eggs warm. But some birds build no nests at all.A whippoorwill lays her eggs on theground. But the eggs are the color ofthe ground around them —camouflaged — so they are safe. Thepenguin that lives in the cold, icyAntarctic builds no nest either. Other creatures make nests. Antsand bees, snakes and fish, and rabbitsand mice make nests. Nest building is not the special thingthat makes a bird a bird.

Neither is egg-laying. All birds layeggs, it’s true. But so do frogs, snakes,fish, bees, mosquitoes, and many othercreatures.



Birds have something that no otherliving thing has. What is it? FEATHERS! Only birds have feathers. That’s thespecial thing that makes a bird a bird. Abird has to have feathers to be a bird. If it flies or not, if it sings or not;anything with feathers is a bird.

CHARACTERISTICS THAT BIRDS SHARE WITH OTHER CREATURES

FLY HAVEWINGS

SING BUILDNESTS

LAYEGGS

HAVEFEATHERS

Birds X1 X X X2 X XInsects X X X X XBats X XFish X XSnakes X XRabbits XMice X

1 except chickens, ostriches, and penguins don’t fly2 except penguins and whippoorwills don’t build nests



Name ___________________________________ Date _____________________

Directions: Read the passage “What Makes a Bird a Bird?”, then circle the letter of the correctanswer.

1. Based on the article and the chart, which characteristic makes a bird “a bird”?

A. wingsB. feathersC. nestsD. eggs

2. Based on the article and the chart, which creatures only share one characteristic withbirds?

A. insectsB. snakesC. miceD. fish

3. Based on the article and the chart, which birds do NOT build a nest?

A. chickens and penguinsB. ostriches and chickensC. penguins and whippoorwillsD. whippoorwills and chickens

4. Based on the chart, which creatures share all of the birds’ characteristics EXCEPTfeathers?

A. insectsB. batsC. fishD. snakes

5. Based on the article and the chart, which creature does NOT build a nest?

A. batsB. miceC. snakesD. rabbits



Answer Key – What Makes a Bird a Bird?LA.A.2.2.8: The student identifies or expresses in writing meanings obtained through the process of selectingand/or organizing information from a single text or across texts. This process may involve application, analysis,synthesis, and/or evaluation appropriate to fourth grade.

1. Based on the article and the chart, which characteristic makes a bird “a bird”?

A. wingsB. feathersC. nestsD. eggs

2. Based on the article and the chart, which creatures only share one characteristic withbirds?

A. insectsB. snakesC. miceD. fish

3. Based on the article and the chart, which birds do NOT build a nest?

A. chickens and penguinsB. ostriches and chickensC. penguins and whippoorwillsD. whippoorwills and chickens

4. Based on the chart, which creatures share all of the birds’ characteristics EXCEPTfeathers?

A. insectsB. batsC. fishD. snakes

5. Based on the article and the chart, which creature does NOT build a nest?

A. batsB. miceC. snakesD. rabbits

reading mini-assessment grade 4 la.a.2.2.8...

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