Keeping a pet rabbit

Keeping a pet rabbit

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
This task is about showing where new paragraphs should begin.

Ana wrote an article about keeping a pet rabbit. She organised her ideas well but she forgot to put in paragraph breaks.

Read Ana's article. Then go back and draw a line (like this: /) in each place a new paragraph is needed.

The first one has been done for you.

Rabbit illustrationKeeping a Pet Rabbit 

When you are choosing a rabbit there are some things you should keep in mind. Choose a rabbit that does not have any cuts, lumps, or rashes on its skin. Check that its ears and nose are clean. Pick a rabbit with bright eyes and glossy fur. ​/ There are some things you will need to buy for your rabbit. You will need to buy a water bottle to keep your rabbit's water fresh and clean. You will also need a food dish. It is a good idea to get a heavy dish so that it doesn't tip over. You will need to buy a hutch for your rabbit to live in. Buy a hutch with legs so that it doesn't get damp underneath. You can buy all of these things from any pet shop. Make sure you feed your rabbit at the same times each day. Feed your rabbit once in the morning and once in the evening. Rabbits like to eat most fruit and vegetables. Do not give your rabbit spinach or lettuce because they will give it a stomach ache. You will need to feed your rabbit some dry food such as rabbit pellets. This can be bought from pet shops. You may also like to buy a salt block for your rabbit to lick. Your rabbit's hutch should be cleaned out regularly. Throw out old hay, food, and droppings. Sweep out the hutch with a brush. Then wash the hutch with warm soapy water and leave it to dry. Wash out your rabbit's food dishes. Don't forget to wash your hands after you have finished cleaning out the hutch. At times you will have to take your rabbit to the vet. If you are keeping a male rabbit and a female rabbit together, your male rabbit will need to have a neutering operation so that you don't get baby rabbits. You will also need to take your rabbit to the vet to get some injections so that it doesn't catch any diseases. Your rabbit will have trouble eating if its teeth grow too long so you may need to go to the vet to have them cut. The vet can also trim your rabbit's claws if they grow too long. If you go away for one night you will need to make sure your rabbit has enough water and food. If you go away for longer than one night you will need to find someone to look after your rabbit while you are away. Try to find someone that knows about rabbits and likes them. It is a good idea to leave a list of instructions telling the person how to look after your rabbit.
 
When do you need to start a new paragraph in your writing?
 
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Key Competencies: 
Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
paragraphs, article, organisation
Description of task: 
Students read a story about rabbits and mark where the paragraph breaks should occur. The assessment focus is on organisation.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students’ ability to create texts to meet the writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum.
 

Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:
  • use a text structure that is appropriate to purpose
  • demonstrate knowledge of how language works
as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Writing meaningful text: text features, set 4
within the Writing Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
   

Y6 (11/2001)
a)
Award 1 mark for each correctly placed paragraph break.
The correct answers are indicated in the box below.
[If students have inserted more than 4 paragraph breaks, use the first 4 they insert to assess this task.]
4 correct – very difficult
3 correct – moderate
2 correct – moderate
1 correct – easy
b) You need to begin a new paragraph when you have/begin a new topic/subject/idea. moderate
 

 

When you are choosing a rabbit there are some things you should keep in mind. Choose a rabbit that does not have any cuts, lumps, or rashes on its skin. Check that its ears and nose are clean. Pick a rabbit with bright eyes and glossy fur. There are some things you will need to buy for your rabbit. You will need to buy a water bottle to keep your rabbit's water fresh and clean. You will also need a food dish. It is a good idea to get a heavy dish so that it doesn't tip over. You will need to buy a hutch for your rabbit to live in. Buy a hutch with legs so that it doesn't get damp underneath. You can buy all of these things from any pet shop. Make sure you feed your rabbit at the same times each day. Feed your rabbit once in the morning and once in the evening. Rabbits like to eat most fruit and vegetables. Do not give your rabbit spinach or lettuce because they will give your rabbit a stomach ache. You will need to feed your rabbit some dry food such as rabbit pellets. This can be bought from pet shops. You may also like to buy a salt block for your rabbit to lick. Your rabbit's hutch should be cleaned out regularly. Throw out old hay, food, and droppings. Sweep out the hutch with a brush. Then wash the hutch with warm soapy water and leave it to dry. Wash out your rabbit's food dishes. Don't forget to wash your hands after you have finished cleaning out the hutch. At times you will have to take your rabbit to the vet. If you are keeping a male rabbit and a female rabbit together, your male rabbit will need to have a neutering operation so that you don't get baby rabbits. You will also need to take your rabbit to the vet to get some injections so that it doesn't catch any diseases. Your rabbit will have trouble eating if its teeth grow too long so you may need to go to the vet to have them cut. The vet can also trim your rabbit's claws if they grow too long. If you go away for one night you will need to make sure your rabbit has enough water and food. If you go away for longer than one night you will need to find someone to look after your rabbit while you are away. Try to find someone that knows about rabbits and likes them. It is a good idea to leave a list of instructions telling the person how to look after your rabbit.