Diets of some New Zealand birds

Diets of some New Zealand birds

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
This task is about using information to complete a table.
 
New Zealand bird Food eaten by this bird
Black backed gull Shellfish, fruit, and a wide range of other food
Fantail Insects
Kereru Leaves, flowers, and fruit
Kiwi Worms, seeds, and fruit
Morepork Insects, spiders, lizards, and mice
Rifleman Insects and spiders
Tui Nectar, fruit, and large insects like cicadas and stick insects
Waxeye Fruit
 
Use the information above about diets of some New Zealand birds to fill in the table below. List each bird in the table only once.

A
Which birds are
herbivores?

B
Which birds are
omnivores?

C
Which birds are
carnivores?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Living World
Keywords: 
ecology, herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, native birds
Description of task: 
Students are provided with some information on the diet of eight NZ birds. Students use this information to fill in a table that identifies which birds are herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
 
Capabilitiy: Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss using evidence from a table to classify animals by their diet.
Science capabilities: 
Use evidence
Making Better Sense: 
Endangered Species
Answers/responses: 
  Y8 (05/00)
a) Kereru
Waxeye		 2 correct – easy 
1 correct – very easy
b) Black backed gull
Kiwi
Tui		 3 correct – moderate 
2 correct – easy 
1 correct – very easy
c) Fantail
Morepork
Rifleman		 3 correct – moderate 
2 correct – easy 
1 correct – very easy
NOTE: If a bird type is written in more than one column mark as wrong.
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common error
a) The birds most likely to be wrongly classified as herbivores were:
Tui (19%), Kiwi (18%), and Fantail (17%).
c) The birds most likely to be wrongly classified as carnivores were:
Tui (29%), and Waxeye (15%).