Birds resources

Students explain three ways native birds could be affected if a stand of native bush found on farmland was removed.

Students explain what the effects of draining a pond would have on the ducks and reeds that live there.

Students are provided with a picture of a New Zealand native bird. Students select a word from a given list to name each of these bird parts. Students are then required to explain why the bird needs each of these named parts.

Task: Identify the features of three animals, name their classification group, and answer two questions comparing features of the groups. Assessment focus: classification of animals.

Task: group pictures of animals under headings. Assessment focus: classification of mammals, birds, and insects.

Students classify a range of animals as mammals, birds, or fish.

Task: sort cards into groups. Assessment focus: classification

Task: sort cards and answer questions orally. Assessment focus: classification of animals.

Students are provided with a diagram of a moa and asked if each of seven sentences about moa is correct or incorrect.

This practical task assesses students' understanding of the different features of the vertebrate groups. Students need to identify the larger group that their animal card belongs too, then work with other students with the same group to write down all the features of that group.

This practical task assesses students' ability to identify the larger animal group that four vertebrate animals belong to and then identify the features that those groups have using labels.

Name the group various animals belong to. Assessment focus: classification.

Task: Sort vertebrate animals according to given classification groups. Assessment focus: classification of animals.

Students match photographs of bird beaks to the correct beak description and type of food it would eat.

The native bird the kakapo is the subject of this listening comprehension assessment. SJ-2-3-1992. Text not provided.

Assessment focus: deciding which description of the main idea of an informational text is most appropriate, and justifying their thinking. The text used is about the adaptation of bird's feet to their environment.

Students read an article about a cockatoo to find factual information. Junior Journal 17. Text not provided.

Task: Read a short piece of narrative. Identify and explain the behavioural adaptations of oystercatchers. Assessment focus: interpreting text to identify behavioural adaptations and their purposes.

Task: Match descriptions of kingfishers to their likely diet, and answer questions about food chains. Assessment focus: interpretation of text and pie graphs; conventions of food chains.

Students answer one question about diet given the type of beak that birds have. Students are also asked about how scientists might investigate information about moa.

Task: students explain links between a bird's feet and its lifestyle.

Students use a diagram showing similar and dissimilar characteristics of reptiles, birds, and mammals, to answer questions regarding these features.

Students use a chart that identifies some birds' eggs to answer short response questions.

Task: Choose images to enhance a science text about an adaptation of kererū, compare the messages of images, and reflect on the role of illustrations in science texts. Assessment focus: using and interpreting images in science texts.

Students give two pieces of information a scientist could learn from placing bands on the legs of birds.