What does a starfish have for lunch?

What does a starfish have for lunch?

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about reading to find information in a text.
Read What does a starfish have for lunch? by Annette Seear (School Journal part 1, no. 2, 1999). Then answer the questions below.
 
a)
Find the following information in the article. Write one fact by each bullet point.
 
 
i) Habitat:
    Where starfish may be found.
 
  • ________________________
ii) Physical characteristics:
    What starfish look like.
 
  • ________________________
 
iii) Diet:
     What starfish eat.
 
  • ________________________
     
  • ________________________
     
  • ________________________
     
  • ________________________
 iv) Purposes of star fish suckers:
 

  • ________________________
     
  • ________________________
b)

 
i) What is the favourite food of the starfish? ____________________
  
ii) Write the word in the article which tells you this. ___________________
 
c) i)  Complete the following flowchart to explain how starfish eat.
1)           Finds food          

↓
2)                                         

↓
3)                                         

↓
4)                                          

↓
5)  Gobbles everything up 
 
  ii) How much time can pass between what happens in boxes 2 and box 3 of the flowchart? __________
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Copyright: 
What does a starfish have for lunch?
School Journal, Part 1, Number 2, Learning Media, 1999.
Text was first published by Learning Media Limited in School Journal, on behalf of the Ministry of Education. © Annette Seear 1999.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Reading
Key Competencies: 
Thinking, Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
School Journal, comprehension, retrieve, information skills, flowchart construction, SJ-1-2-1999
Description of task: 
Students read an article on starfish and find factual information to complete a retrieval chart and answer comprehension questions. SJ-1-2-1999. Text not provided.
Curriculum Links: 
Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:

  • use comprehension strategies
  • locate and summarise ideas

as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.

Answers/responses: 

 

Y6 (11/1999)

a)

i)

Any 1 of:

  • In the sea.
  • On the rocks.

[Accept "Island Bay Marine Education Centre".]

 very easy
  ii)
  • Spines (on top).
  • Suckers (underneath).
  • Eyes at the end of its arms.
  • Tastebuds.
  • Star shaped. [picture cue used.]
  • Five arms. [picture cue used.]
  • Patterned. [picture cue used.]

4 correct – very difficult

3 correct – difficult

2 correct – easy

1 correct – very easy
  iii)
  • pipi
  • oysters
  • scallops
  • mussels
 seafood with two shells/ bivalves
very easy
  iv)

Any 2 of:

  • Help it move.
  • Used to open shellfish.
  • Help it cling to rocks.

2 correct – difficult

1 correct – easy
b) i) mussels very easy
  ii) especially moderate
c) i)

2) Puts suckers on (each half of the shell).
3) Pulls shell apart (a tiny crack).
4) Stomach goes into the shell (and sucks).

moderate
moderate
difficult
  ii)
  • Up to/approximately/sometimes three days. [Do not accept "three days".]
 difficult