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Open Up - Grade 4 - ELA - Module 2 - Mid Unit 2 Assessment

By Formative Library
Last updated 7 months ago
11 questions
In this assessment, you will read two new texts about the pufferfish. Read both texts carefully, and answer the questions that follow.

Read Text 1, “Pufferfish,” and answer the questions below (RI.4.10):

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

Which explanation is most appropriate for how the pufferfish inflates? (RI.4.1)

Which line from the text “Pufferfish” best supports your answer for Question 1? (RI.4.1)

Once the pufferfish is inflated, what other defense mechanism does it have? (RI.4.1)

Which line from the text “Pufferfish” best supports your answer for Question 3? (RI.4.1)

According to the text, what danger does a predator face if it swallows the pufferfish? (RI.4.1)

Which line from the text “Pufferfish” best supports your answer for Question 5? (RI.4.1)

Read Text 2, “Spiky Surprise,” and answer the questions below (RI.4.10):

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

What is the main idea of the text “Spiky Surprise”? (RI.4.2)

What’s the most important thing the author wants us to know from reading this text?

Cite two details (evidence) from the text that support the main idea. (RI.4.2)

According to the text, the pufferfish is not as innocent as he looks for all of the following reasons except ___________________ (RI.4.2):

Summarize the text “Spiky Surprise” in no more than five sentences. (RI.4.2)

Imagine that you are doing a short research project on defenses used by certain kinds of fish. You have been given the following research questions:
• What does this fish look like?
• What is its habitat?
• What are its predators?
• How does it use its body and behaviors to help it survive?

Create a graphic organizer for your research information about the pufferfish. (W.4.7, W.4.8) Be sure to:
• Reread the research questions and determine the categories you will need to organize information from the articles.
• Create a graphic organizer with clear headings on the page below.
• Organize relevant research from both texts—Text 1: “Pufferfish” and Text 2: “Spiky Surprise”—on the organizer you created
• Include the sources you used to find the information.

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