Dirt is not only fun to play in, but it is also a very ...



Humble ISD

2012 Summer School

Final Assessment

Grade Three

The Mystery Animal

by Geraldine Haggard

|What animal can climb any tree and come down backward or forward? |

|What animal can run, walk and swim? What animal never builds its own home? |

|1 |This masked animal is curious and investigates things it smells and sees. It can get into small cracks or places with its front feet. It pulls anything|

| |of interest from a hole or crack to inspect. |

| | |

|2 |The animal is found near trees or a forest. It climbs trees easily. Its feet are flat like humans’ and bears’. When it walks, all four feet stay on the|

| |ground. Its front feet are used to catch prey in and around water. The front feet are also used to wash the food and to bring food to its mouth. The |

| |front feet hold the food while the animal eats. |

| | |

|3 |The animal hunts mostly at night. It is nocturnal. The animal eats crayfish, insects, birds, eggs, fish and small rabbits. |

| | |

|4 |After the mother’s kits are born, the mother eats fruits and vegetables. During the fall, the animals build up fat. Nuts and grain are eaten. During |

| |the winter the animals eat what it can find. It does not hibernate during the winter, but sleeps a lot. |

| | |

|5 |This mystery animal does not build its own den. It uses the homes left by other animals. It often stays in a hollow tree. It has been known to live in |

| |old buildings, beaver lodges, old cars and wood piles. |

| | |

|6 |The father animal does not help care for the kits. The mother stops giving milk to the babies when they are seven to ten weeks old. By that age the |

| |babies go exploring with their mother. They learn to find food and places to live. Most mothers have litters of three babies. |

| | |

|7 |Only six out of ten of the young animals live until fall after their birth. Some are killed by cars. Some are trapped by fur sellers, some become ill |

| |and die. Only six out of ten adults live until winter. |

|8 |This strange animal seldom causes problems for homeowners, farmers or ranchers. It may upset trash cans and eat food put out for dogs or cats. The |

| |farmer’s corn field may be raided. Sometimes the animal may steal eggs from the nests of ground-nesting birds. |

| | |

|9 |The animal can be kept out of gardens. The gardener can put out mothballs, spread cayenne pepper or lay chlorine soaked rags throughout the garden. The|

| |animal does not like tomatoes and avoids them. Gardens can be kept safe. |

| | |

|10 |Keeping lids on your trash cans may stop the raiding of your trash. The lids must fit the cans tightly. Flashing lights scare the animal. Loud sounds |

| |also scare it. If you see it in your trash, try the lights or make loud noises. |

| | |

|11 |The animal does not like to fight. Its only predator is man. It can become upset if it becomes scared, it might attack if it feels threatened. |

| | |

|12 |The animal’s name is an Indian word. It means, “He scratches with his hands”. The animal has a black facemask and a ring and tail. The tail may have |

| |six to eight rings. Its fur is long and “salt and pepper” in color. Its teeth allow it to eat meat and plants. Its sense of smell is stronger than its |

| |eyesight. |

| | |

|13 |Coons do not make good pets. The baby animals grow up and are not happy indoors. It is hard to train them. If you find a baby, care for it. Be sure it |

| |is released into the wild when it is 10 weeks old. |

| | |

|14 |Have you guessed, yet? The animal is the raccoon. It is found across most of North America. It is the state animal of Tennessee and Florida. Someday |

| |you may hear one at your trash cans. You can see one at most zoos. Watch it use its front feet. Remember what you have learned about this interesting |

| |animal. |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

1. Which of the following words helped the reader understand the meaning of the word nocturnal in paragraph 3?

A the mother eats

B crayfish, insects, birds

C mostly at night

D the animal hunts

2. Read the meaning below for the word kit.

Which best fits the way kits is used in paragraph 4?

F Meaning 1

G Meaning 2

H Meaning 3

J Meaning 4

3. Paragraph 4, is mainly about .

A where the raccoons live

B what raccoons eat

C how raccoons live in hollow trees

D how raccoons may live in old buildings

4. Read the first sentence of the summary below.

Which of the following complete the summary above?

F The animal eats fish, insects and corn. It lives near trees. It does not cause problems.

G This night animal lives in homes other animals leave. It eats meat and insects. It does not make a good pet. You may hear it at your trash can.

H The daddy does not help with the baby kits. Some raccoons live in Tennessee.

J It eats meat and other things. Flash a light if you see a raccoon. It likes to explore. It can get into small places.

5. In paragraph 5, the word den means .

A a room to study in

B home of a raccoon

C home of a lion

D a room to watch TV in

6. What main problem does the owner of a pet raccoon have?

F The baby is cute.

G The raccoon has trouble seeing.

H The raccoon grows up.

J The raccoon eats a lot of food.

7. Which word best describes how the raccoon feels when it is threatened?

A calm

B scared

C happy

D hungry

8. What is the main problem that the raccoon has?

F finding a home

G finding something to eat

H caring for its kits

J staying alive

9. Which of the words below helped you understand the meaning of investigates in paragraph 1?

A explores

B masked

C things

D places

10. Read the chart below. It shows the order in which some events happen in the article.

|A baby kit is born. |

| |

|The kit gets milk from its mother. |

| |

| |

| |

|The kit leaves its mother. |

F The baby kit sleeps all the time.

G The mother teaches it how to find food and a home.

H The baby kit lives with the daddy raccoon.

J The baby kit builds its own home.

11. Which sentence best supports the idea that raccoons like to explore?

A The animal eats crayfish, insects, birds’ eggs and small rabbits.

B The mystery animal does not build its own den.

C The masked animal is curious and investigates things it smells and sees.

D Sometimes the animal may steal eggs from the nests of ground-nesting birds.

12. Why do the raccoons get fat before winter comes?

F They are hungry and greedy.

G There is nothing else to do.

H They are getting ready to eat very little in the winter.

J They are building their dens.

| | |STORIES FOR READERS | | |

| |A Central Library Newsletter | |

| |Vol. 1, Oct., 20 Section C | |

| |How the Chippewas Got Dogs | |

| |Retold by: Geraldine Haggard | |

| | | |

| |A legend is a story handed down from early times. This legend is from the Chippewa Indians. It has been told for over 200 years. The | |

| |Chippewas used birch bark canoes. They caught animals and sold furs. The dog helped them as they hunted and trapped animals. | |

| | Two Chippewa Indians went trapping. A strong wind came and | |The giant told the men that the animal was his pet, a dog. “My dog | |

| |blew their canoe far from their village. The men were hungry | |will take you home”, said the giant. “You will ride on his back.” | |

| |and lost. They did not have enough strength to paddle their | |“How can two of us ride on a dog?” wondered the two men. They had no| |

| |canoe. They drifted with the wind. | |idea of how this could be done. Could the giant make magic? The men | |

| |The wind blew the canoe onto the beach. The men were pleased.| |thanked the giant for his kind offer. | |

| |After they had rested, they looked for animal footprints. | |The giant took the men and the dog back to the seashore and the | |

| |They saw giant sized footprints and hid in the bushes. As | |men’s canoe. The giant talked to the dog in a magic language. The | |

| |they lay in the bushes, a big arrow was shot into the ground | |dog begin to grow bigger and bigger. “Jump on the dog’s back,” said | |

| |near them. A huge giant with a deer hanging from around his | |the giant. | |

| |belt appeared. The man was so big that the deer looked like a| |The men did as they were told. The giant said, “Hold on tightly.” | |

| |rabbit. | |As the dog stepped into the water, it started to swim. It swam | |

| |The giant told the men that he did not want to hurt them. He | |quickly away from the shore. | |

| |wanted to be a friend. He knew the men were lost. He invited | |After a long time, the two men began to see a part of the seacoast | |

| |the men to come with him. The men had no food. Their weapons | |that they recognized. Soon the giant dog headed for the shore. As it| |

| |had been lost in the windstorm. So, they went with the giant.| |got near the beach, the dog got smaller and smaller. The men had to | |

| |An animal that the Indians had never seen was by the giant’s | |swim for the last part of the journey. | |

| |fire. | | | |

|10 | The dog left them close to their lodges. It disappeared into| | “We believe your story now,” said the chief. |14 |

| |the forest. | |The dog helped the men find and trap animals. It became a friend to | |

| |Then the men told the other Indians about the dog. “You are | |all the tribe. When the dog had pups, there were more dogs to help | |

| |making up a story,” their friends said. They did not believe | |out and to be friends to the Indians. | |

| |the story of the giant man and his dog. | |That is how the first dog came to the Chippewa Tribe. Today the dog | |

| |“Show us the dog. Then we will believe your story,” the | |is still a friend of the Chippewa Indians. | |

| |doubting Indians said. | | | |

| |A few months went by. One morning as the tribe slept, the dog| | | |

| |returned. When the Indians left their lodges, they saw the | | | |

| |strange animal. “That is the dog that brought us home,” | | | |

| |gasped the two men. The dog allowed the Indians to pet it. It| | | |

| |took food from their hands. | | | |

| | | | | |

|11 | | | |15 |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

|12 | | | |16 |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

|13 | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

13. What is the title of the story?

A Section C

B Central Library Newsletter

C Stories for Readers

D How the Chippewas Got Dogs

14. In paragraph 7, which words help the reader know what the word tightly means?

F as they were told

G hold on

H The giant said

J As the dog stopped

15. Look at these pictures of the Indian men. Which picture shows what the men did when the wind blew their canoe onto the beach? (paragraph 2)

A Picture 1

B Picture 2

C Picture 3

D Picture 4

16. Read the meaning below for the word lodge.

Which meaning best fits the way the word lodges is used in paragraph 10?

F meaning 1

G meaning 2

H meaning 3

J meaning 4

17. Paragraph 11 is mostly about .

A what happened when the men told what had happened

B who the men talked to

C what the dog looked like

D how the men felt when they got home

18. In paragraph 13 the word gasped means .

F took hold of

G said in surprise

H shouted

J whispered

19. Which of the words below describe how the lost Indians felt as the wind blew them and their canoe to the shore?

A The men were dry.

B The men felt rested.

C The men were pleased.

D The men felt they were at home.

20. This story was told mainly to explain .

F how the Indians got the first dog

G how the Indians trapped animals

H how the giant helped the men

J how the men got home

21. When the lost men were back at home why did their friends not believe the story of the giant’s dog?

A The men who returned home had told untrue stories before.

B The friends had seen the giant and his dog.

C The friends had not seen the giant and his dog.

D The friends had never gone fishing.

22. Look at the diagram about the two Indians and the giant. Answer the question that follows.

Which of the following goes in the blank?

F had a deer on his belt

G had the same pet dog

H lived in lodges

J traveled in a canoe

23. Why did the lost men have to swim the last part of the way to the shore?

A The dog disappeared into the forest.

B The men saw the trees on the shore.

C The dog became very tired.

D The dog became smaller and smaller.

Bats: Friends or Foes

By: Geraldine Haggard

|1 |Just before dark one summer’s day, I was in Austin, Texas. My daughter and her children were with me. We ate at a restaurant near the |

| |Congress Avenue bridge. We were there because I had read an Austin newspaper. The paper told of the many bats that live under the Congress |

| |Avenue bridge. |

| | |

|2 |After supper we sat on the grass and waited for the one and a half million bats to leave their home and hunt for food. Just as darkness came,|

| |the bats flew away in huge black clouds. It was a sight that none of us would ever forget! |

| | |

|3 |These Mexican free-tailed bats are one of thirty-two kinds of bats that live in Texas. The world’s largest bat colony is in Bracken Cave in |

| |Texas. Twenty million bats live there. Texas seems to be a favorite home of bats! |

| | |

|4 |Bats can also live in trees. Some bats live under big leaves, and by using camouflage they are safe. They look like dry leaves. Some bats |

| |live in attics of homes. Some find old mines a good home. Some people build bat houses and hope that bats will move in. |

| | |

|5 |Why would people want bats to move in these houses? How do bats help us? Bats eat mosquitoes that bite people. The bats from Bracken Cave in |

| |Texas can eat 250 tons of insects in one night. This means farmers can use less chemicals and poisons. What they grow is safer for us to eat.|

| |Other bats eat rootworms that cause plants to die. We have more food at the grocery store. |

| | |

|6 |Bats also spread seeds for new plants and trees. Bats in rainforests gather pollen and drop seeds of trees and bushes. These bats use their |

| |noses to find fruit. They gather pollen by their snouts. The bats in the deserts of our country pollinate the giant saguaro cactus. |

| | |

|7 |Bats live in every part of our world except Antarctica. More bats live where it is very hot. Fewer bats live on islands that are far from |

| |continents. It is too far for most bats to fly from the continents. |

| | |

|8 |Many people believe things about bats that are myths. Bats are not blind. Bats do not get in people’s hair. Bats are not mice or flying |

| |squirrels. |

|9 |The bat does have sight. Its eyes, ears, and smell are all used in their search for food. Its big ears help the bat echolocate. A cry bounces|

| |off its prey and returns to the bat. The bats that use those echoes have folds on their faces. |

| | |

|10 |The mother bat has one baby a year. She leaves her home to hunt for food. When she returns, she can find her baby from the sounds of the |

| |other baby bats. She uses her ears and her nose to find her baby. |

| | |

|11 |Some people think of bats as bad. Bat decorations at Halloween are an example. China thinks the bat is a sign of good luck and happiness. |

| |Chinese rulers used bats to decorate their robes. In Texas we know bats help us in many ways. We want to protect the bat. |

| | |

|12 |About half of the bats in America are in danger. Their homes are destroyed. Vandals kill the bats. Some get sick and die. People who want to |

| |protect bats are working to educate people. |

| | |

|13 |The Martha Stewart Show on TV has had two programs with bats as guests. One Halloween, the Today Show had red bats as guests. People were |

| |informed on the dangers that bats face. Nickelodeon shares bat information. |

| | |

|14 |It is important that everyone understands that bats help all of us. The bats need to be protected. This flying animal can then continue to |

| |eat insects and pollinate plants. |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

24. Which sentence from the article is an opinion?

F The author would never forget what she saw.

G The author and her family ate in an Austin restaurant.

H The bats lived in Austin.

J The bats lived under a bridge.

25. Look at these pictures of bats. Which picture shows what rainforest bats do in paragraph 6?

A Picture 1

B Picture 2

C Picture 3

D Picture 4

26. Paragraph 12 is mainly about .

F why bats are our friends

G why their homes are not destroyed

H how vandals kill bats

J why bats are in danger

27. In paragraph 5 the word chemicals means .

A water

B sprays to kill insects

C plastic covers for plants

D plant food to help plants grow

28. Read the first sentence of the summary below.

Which of the following completes the summary above?

F Bats eat insects and pollinate plants. Bats are not liked by some people.

G Farmers and other people are helped by bats that eat insects. We need to know more about bats. The bats need to be protected.

H Bats use their sight and hearing to hunt insects. Bats eat mosquitoes. Some people build bat houses.

J Bats live under bridges and in caves. It’s fun to watch bats. They hunt at night.

29. The bats in Austin, Texas live .

A in an attic

B inside a restaurant

C under a bridge

D in a cave

30. Which of the following best describes how the author and her family felt as they saw the bats fly out from under the bridge?

F impressed

G tired

H frightened

J displeased

31. What is the main problem facing bats?

A They are being trapped in houses where people do not live.

B They need many insects to eat if they are to stay alive.

C The mother bat has to leave the baby bat to find food.

D Many bats are being killed and are dying from diseases.

32. Read the headlines of these newspapers.

1

2

3

4

Which newspaper story did the author most likely read?

F Newspaper 1

G Newspaper 2

H Newspaper 3

J Newspaper 4

33. What would happen if the bats were not in the deserts of our country?

A The deserts would be safer.

B There would be fewer new cactus plants.

C The deserts would be cooler.

D The deserts would be more beautiful.

34. Why does the author feel Texas is the bats favorite home?

F Texas is a very big state.

G There are many caves in Texas.

H There are millions of bats in Texas.

J There are many bridges in Texas.

35. Read the chart below. It shows the order in which some events happen in the article.

|They ate supper at a restaurant. |

| |

|They sat on the grass across from the bridge. |

| |

| |

| |

|They watched a black cloud of bats fly out from their home. |

Which of these belong in the empty box?

A They arrived in Austin.

B The decided what to eat for supper.

C They waited to see the bats.

D They went home.

36. Look at the diagram about Bats of Texas and Bats Outside of Texas. Answer the question that follows.

Which of the following goes in the blank?

F Live mostly in bat houses

G Cannot see

H Mother bats have several pups a year

J Use their sense of smell and vision

|Selection |Item |Correct |

| |Number |Answer |

|1 |1 |C |

| |2 |H |

| |3 |B |

| |4 |G |

| |5 |B |

| |6 |H |

| |7 |B |

| |8 |J |

| |9 |A |

| |10 |G |

| |11 |C |

| |12 |H |

|2 |13 |D |

| |14 |G |

| |15 |C |

| |16 |H |

| |17 |A |

| |18 |G |

| |19 |C |

| |20 |F |

| |21 |C |

| |22 |G |

| |23 |D |

|3 |24 |F |

| |25 |C |

| |26 |J |

| |27 |B |

| |28 |G |

| |29 |C |

| |30 |F |

| |31 |D |

| |32 |H |

| |33 |B |

| |34 |H |

| |35 |C |

| |36 |J |

-----------------------

Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.

[pic]

kit (kit) noun

1. a set of parts 2. a collection of personal things 3. a baby raccoon 4. a baby cat

Summary of “The Mystery Animal”

The mystery animal lives in, or near forests.

.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

lodge (lodj) noun

1. club or society 2. inn or motel

3. place to live 4. place where a club meets

The Two Indians

The Giant

lost in the storm

trapped animals

was very large

saw that the men got home

were on the shore

Summary of “Bats: Friends or Foes?”

Bats in Texas live under bridges, in caves and other places.

.

Austin, Texas: A Good Place to Visit

Eat at Restaurant Near Congress Street Bridge

Thousands of Bats Put on a Nightly Show in Austin

Congress Street Bridge Used by Many Cars

Bats of Texas

Bats Outside of Texas

Live under a bridge

in Austin

Live in Bracken Cave

Live in rainforests

Live in all but one continent

Live with many other bats

-----------------------

GO ON

GO ON

STOP

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download