Open Up - Grade 4 - ELA - Module 2 - End of Unit 2 Assessment

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Last updated 7 months ago

5 questions

Part I:
Read (or reread) Text 1, Text 2, and Text 3, and use them to answer the questions in Part I.

Text 1: “Pufferfish”

There are more than 120 different species of pufferfish found all over world. They can be 1 inch to more than 3 feet long. The pufferfish has small fins and bulging eyes. Some are brightly colored to show predators they are poisonous. Puffy lips cover strong teeth and jaws, like a beak. This beak helps the pufferfish eat snails, hermit crabs, and other small animals with hard shells.

The pufferfish usually hides to escape predators. When it cannot escape, the pufferfish quickly swallows air or water until it is completely full and round. Pointed spines stick out of the body when it is inflated.

Most pufferfish contain a dangerous poison. If a predator swallows a pufferfish, it could be lethal. One pufferfish has enough poison to kill 30 humans! In Japan, certain species of pufferfish are a rare and expensive food for humans. It can be deadly to eat if you don’t know how to prepare it. Chefs have to be trained to remove the poisonous parts of this fish before they serve it.

Written by EL Education for Instructional Purposes. Lexile 820.

Sources:
“Pufferfish.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Web. 31 Apr 15. .
“Puffer.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Web. 31 Apr 15. .

Glossary: 
Bulging: Sticking out 
Inflated: Filled with air or water 
Lethal: Cause death 
Rare: Not very common

Text 2: “Spiky Surprise”

Things aren’t always what they seem. In the warm tropical ocean, there are fish of many shapes and sizes. Some are harmless vegetarians, like the parrotfish. Others are dangerous predators, like the tiger shark. But beware— some fish that seem harmless are really quite dangerous!

One such fish swims slowly along. The pufferfish looks innocent as he glides silently through the ocean. He looks like easy prey. His cartoon-like face hides a dangerous secret.

If a tiger shark or barracuda takes him by surprise, the pufferfish will quickly swallow water or air to look like a water balloon. Elastic skin stretches easily, and the pufferfish becomes a ball three times normal size. The pufferfish is covered with lots of sharp spines that you can’t see until he puffs up. When he fills up with water or air, his spines stick straight out to defend him from predators. This makes him very difficult for a predator to swallow. If he is swallowed, he is toxic. He is a spiky surprise!

Today there are no predators in sight. This little pufferfish is safe. He continues to swim along, looking for a tasty crab or sea urchin to eat. The pufferfish may look harmless, but his defenses keep him quite safe.

Written by Jessica Miller for EL Education. Lexile 750.
Sources:
“Porcupine Pufferfish.” Bristol Zoo Gardens. Bristol Zoological Society. Web. 31 Apr 15. .
Guzik, Stephanie. “The Pufferfish Voucher Library.” Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Web. 31 Apr 15. .
“Pufferfish.” Science Daily. Web 31 Apr 15. .

Glossary: 
Toxic: Poisonous

Text 3: “Picture of the Day: Pufferfish”

The pufferfish inflates itself as a protection against predators. This is because their lack of mobility makes them a target. By inflating themselves through ingesting large amounts of water, or even air if they are not in the water, pufferfish can increase their size, intimidating predators long enough for the pufferfish to swim away. Some pufferfish, such as the one in this image, have spines, which add further protection. Another line of defense is the tetrodotoxin found in certain pufferfish species, which is lethal to many predators. Tetrodotoxin is also lethal to humans, being up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. The amount of toxin in one pufferfish is enough to kill 30 humans.

The pufferfish diet includes most invertebrates and algae, and larger pufferfish will eat clams, mussels, and shellfish. Over 120 pufferfish species exist worldwide, and they are found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters and also fresh water.

Glossary:
Mobility: Ability to move from one place to another
Ingesting: Swallowing something
Tetrodotoxin: A kind of poison produced by certain pufferfish
Toxin: A poisonous substance
Invertebrates: A type of animal that does not have a backbone
Algae: Simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in or near water.

Use all three texts to answer the following questions. You may look back at the texts as often as you wish.

Which source would most likely be the most helpful in understanding how humans use pufferfish? (W.4.8)

Put an X in the boxes to match each source with the idea or ideas it supports. Some ideas may have more than one source checked. (W.4.8)

A student is writing about animal defense mechanisms. He wants to replace the underlined word to make his meaning clearer.

Venom is one of the best defense mechanisms.

Which would be a better choice for the word he has underlined? Explain why. (L.4.3a)

Choose the sentence that is punctuated correctly (L.4.2c).

Part II:
Directions: You have been researching different animals and their defense mechanisms. On the Mid-Unit 2 assessment and on this assessment, you read texts about the pufferfish and how it uses its body to survive. Using your research notes and the two texts on the pufferfish, you will write an informational piece. Other students, teachers, and parents will read your piece to learn more about how the pufferfish defends itself.
Write an informational piece that describes the pufferfish’s physical characteristics, habitat, predators, and at least two defense mechanisms. Choose the most important information from your sources to include in your piece. Then, write an informative piece that is several paragraphs long. In your piece, clearly state your focus. Use accurate and relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations or other information and examples to explain and support the information presented. Clearly organize your writing by using linking words to connect your ideas.

REMEMBER: A well-written informational piece:
• Clearly states a focus and stays focused throughout the piece
• Uses accurate and relevant facts, details, and other information to support the main idea
• Clearly presents information that is easy to understand and engages the reader
• Follows rules of writing (spelling, punctuation, and grammar including using modal auxiliaries such as “can,” “could,” “would,” “may,” and “should” to show condition)
Incorporates research from at least two sources

Now, begin work on your informational piece. Manage your time carefully so that you can:
1. Review the texts used in your research and your research notes.
2. Plan your informational piece.
3. Write your informational piece.
4. Use the Informational Writing Checklist to revise and edit your writing to be sure it meets all the criteria.

…

Source: Open Up Resouces (Download for free at openupresources.org.)

Open Up - Grade 4 - ELA - Module 2 - End of Unit 2 Assessment

Which source would most likely be the most helpful in understanding how humans use pufferfish? (W.4.8)

Put an X in the boxes to match each source with the idea or ideas it supports. Some ideas may have more than one source checked. (W.4.8)

A student is writing about animal defense mechanisms. He wants to replace the underlined word to make his meaning clearer.Venom is one of the best defense mechanisms.Which would be a better choice for the word he has underlined? Explain why. (L.4.3a)

Choose the sentence that is punctuated correctly (L.4.2c).

A student is writing about animal defense mechanisms. He wants to replace the underlined word to make his meaning clearer.

Venom is one of the best defense mechanisms.

Which would be a better choice for the word he has underlined? Explain why. (L.4.3a)