Grade 4 Informational

 Performance  Task:
TM

Animals and Their Surroundings

Task:

Your school’s science fair is taking place soon. Your class has decided to focus on
doing science projects about animals. You become interested in learning more
about where animals live. You have found three sources about this topic in the
school library.

After you have reviewed these sources, you will answer some questions about
them. Briefly scan the sources and the three questions that follow. Then, go back
and read the sources carefully so you will have the information you will need to
answer the questions and complete your research.

In Part 1, you will answer questions about the reading passages. In Part 2, you will
write an informational article using information you have read.

Directions for Beginning:

You will now review several sources. You can review any of the sources as often as
you like.

Research Questions:

After reviewing the research sources, use the rest of the time in Part 1 to answer
three questions about them. Your answers to these questions will be scored. Also,
your answers will help you think about the information you have read, which should
help you write your informational article.

Answer the questions in the spaces below the items.

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 1

Sources for Performance Task:

Source #1

You have found an article that describes how animals survive in different
environments, the places where plants and animals live.

It’s a Cold (Hot, Dry, Dark) Cruel World!

by Dawn Baertlein

Living creatures survive in all types of environments. Each environment creates

different challenges for animals that live there. Some living creatures survive at the
bottom of the sea where it is dark as night and very cold. Other plants and animals
live in dry, hot environments. People can use tools like flashlights or fans to help
them survive. Animals and plants, however, must rely on nature to help them
survive.

Near the South Pole, in Antarctica, it is very cold. It is usually about minus 57
degrees Fahrenheit. Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so Antarctica is much
colder than ice. Scientists live at the South Pole, but they live in buildings with thick
walls and heating. What do animals do?

Some animals have bodies that help them live in the cold. The icefish lives in water
so cold that even in summer, chunks of ice continue to float in the water. How do
icefish keep from freezing? The only way icefish can survive in this extreme
environment is because they have a special substance in their blood that keeps ice
crystals from forming inside their bodies.

Penguins have thick layers of fat or blubber to help them stay warm, but sometimes
even that is not enough! Often penguins must rely on each other for survival. They
cuddle up together as close as they can to share their body heat.

Another area that can be hard to live in is the dry, hot desert. People who live in
the desert often wear special clothes to protect them from the heat. When they
build homes they have air conditioners to keep them cool and to find water they dig
wells that provide water from deep in the ground. How do animals survive in the
hot, dry conditions?

Many desert animals come out only at night, when it’s cool. Snakes, lizards, mice,
and squirrels live in burrows. During the day, they stay under the ground and out of
the sun.

In the hot Sonoran Desert of Arizona, an owl lives in a nest that sits on a tall
cactus. The cactus stems store water. Rain doesn’t fall often in the Sonoran Desert,
but when it does, it falls quickly and heavily. Then the water quickly flows away.
The cactus has roots that spread out only inches below the surface of the soil. The
roots are like a big sponge, soaking up rainwater fast. Now the cactus can store
water for months and the owl has a nice home high up in the cactus.

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 2

 The ocean has very different challenges from
those of the desert. The deepest pails of the
ocean are very dark and cold because the
sun’s rays are unable to shine through all of
the layers of water. Some of the very deepest
pails of the ocean have thermal vents on the
ocean floor that are like little volcanoes under
the sea. The water coming out of the vents is
very hot. Crabs survive at the bottom of the
sea by scurrying around the vents looking for

An owl nests on a cactus in the desert food.

Arctic chill, desert sun, and cold, pitch-dark ocean—these are difficult conditions
that would be hard for people to survive. But nature gives plants and animals the
ability to live almost anywhere.

Sources Used:

Casey, B. (2006, June 19). Fish produces natural antifreeze to stay alive. Retrieved from
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/13426864/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/fish-
produces-natural-antifreeze-stay-alive

Hill, K. (2007, September 15). What animal never drinks water in its entire life? Retrieved
from http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com.

Sea World Parks and Entertainment (n.d.). Polar bears behavior. Retrieved from
http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/polar-bear/

The Mariana Trench (n. d.), The Mariana Trench – Biology. Retrieved from
http://www.marianatrench.com/mariana_trench-biology_001.htm.

Photo of owl on cactus (Image 1598R-10034017), copyright by Superstock, Used by

permission.

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 3

Source #2

You have found an article from Appleseeds magazine that describes how some
animals build their homes.

Animal Architects
by Donna Henes

Everybody Needs a Home

Homes protect us from weather and keep us safe and comfortable. Animals are no
exception.

Humans live in a wide variety of structures. Around the world people have designed
and built their homes to suit their particular needs and ways of life. Animals do the
same.

In addition to making living places, people and animals both build other structures:
bridges, dams, traps, and storage areas. These structures help people and animals
survive.

People and animals both use different materials and methods for their construction.
They build with wood, weave with fibers and vines, dig into the earth, and mold out
of mud.

From sky-high nests to elaborate (or fancy) tunnels, the amazing works of animal
architects (or building designers) rival those of the greatest human engineers. Let’s
take a look at some.

Beavers build lodges along the banks of lakes and

ponds. Using branches they chew apart themselves,
beavers begin by building a cone-shaped frame. Then
they fill in the gaps with mud and leaves. The
entrance to the lodge is always at the bottom,
underwater, so beavers can come and go without
being seen by predators.

In addition to their lodges, beavers build dams.

Water builds up behind the dams, creating flooded
areas that are ideal places for beavers to find food.
The flooded areas also provide pools for other
wildlife.
An inside view of a termite mound
Termites build 20-foot-high mounds out of dirt and
their own saliva. These giant structures are like small
apartment buildings. Besides living areas, these towers have food storage areas,
nurseries for “baby” termites, a special chamber for the king and queen, and even
gardens. (A chamber is like a room.)

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 4

 Wombats dig huge underground burrows that can be 100
feet long. Wombat tunnels are elaborate, with many
entrances, side tunnels, and resting chambers. Inside the
burrow, sleeping nests are built on raised “platforms” to
keep them dry in case of flooding. Often, several burrows
are connected, creating structures so large they can
actually be seen from space! . . .

Bald eagles build massive nests—4 to 5 feet across and 3

to 6 feet deep—high in tall trees. They use their beaks and
amazingly strong talons [or claws] to break branches and
wombat coming out if its burrow twigs for nest material. Like beavers, eagles begin by
building a stick frame. Then, they weave in smaller
branches and twigs for added strength and protection.
Finally, eagles line their nests with grasses and other soft material to make them
comfy.

Take a look around you. [You may] find other examples of amazing animal
architecture.

Sources Used:

Henes, D. (2009). Animal architects. Appleseeds, 11(7). 16-18.

Photograph of termite mound (Image 4268R-11707), copyright by Superstock. Used by

permission.

Photograph of wombat in burrow (Image 1889R-38764), copyright by SuperStock. Used by

permission.

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 5

Source #3

You have found an article that discusses plants and animals that live in the same
place. The article describes how these plants and animals depend on each other to
stay alive.

Don’t Step on the Ecosystem!1

by Courtney Duke

The next time you go out, take a careful look around. Maybe you see a small pond.
Plants might be growing ¡n the pond, birds might take baths in it and, if you’re
lucky, the pond might even be a home to tadpoles.

Any place where plants and animals live and interact (work together) with nonliving
things (like air, water, and soil) is called an ecosystem. The plants and animals ¡n
an ecosystem need each other to survive. It is important that there is a balance
among all things in an ecosystem. A small change in any part of an ecosystem can
have a big effect. For example, if the food that an animal eats can no longer be
found, then that animal will either die or have to leave that ecosystem. When that
animal is no longer a part of the ecosystem, then the rest of the living and
nonliving parts of the ecosystem are affected because all parts of the ecosystem
depend on each other.

All parts of an ecosystem are connected to each other. Think about an oak tree in
the forest. It is a home to the bugs and birds that live in its bark and branches, and
to the squirrels who make their nests in its trunk. The oak tree also provides food
to other animals in the ecosystem. When its acorns are ripe, they fall to the forest
floor. These rich nuts are good food for the mice and deer that eat these to fatten
up for the winter. Mice save the acorns so that they have food in the winter
months, and in the spring, hawks swoop down looking for a mouse meal. In a way,
the oak tree helps the hawk find its food. This is an example of how the plants and
animals in an ecosystem work together in order to survive.

Now think of the ocean. Imagine diving into the deep blue water. Near the surface,
you see a rocky ridge of coral called a coral reef. The reef is home to many plants
and animals. For example, sea plants move back and forth in the current, and fish
come to feed or to hide from other living things that can harm them. Coral reefs, in
fact, are home to about one-quarter of all the fish in the sea. Reefs also attract
birds, whales, turtles, and seals. The number and many different types of animals
that depend upon coral reefs make them one of the most important ecosystems in
the world.

There are many different kinds of ecosystems, and they can be very small like a
pond or very big like a coral reef ecosystem. Ecosystems are everywhere.

1
ecosystem: an area where plants, animals, and other nonliving things live and
depend on each other for survival

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 6

Sources Used:

Geography for kids. (n.d.). Ecosystems. Retrieved https://kidsgeo.com/geography-for-

kids/ecosystems/

Salpietra, M. (2009, February 24). Population ecology. Retrieved from

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/population-ecology.html.

The Franklin Institute (n.d.). Ecosystems, biomes, and habitats. Retrieved from
http://learn.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/.

Pala, C. (2008, September). Our imperiled oceans: victory at sea. Retrieved from:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/our-imperiled-oceans-victory-at-sea-
7468851/.

Part 1: ASSESSMENT ITEMS

1. Source #1 discusses what some animals do to survive in their environment.

Explain how the information in Source #2 adds to the reader’s understanding
of what some animals do to survive in their environment. Give two details
from Source #2 to support your explanation.
(short constructed response)

2. Which source would most likely be the most helpful in understanding how
plants and animals work and live together to allow the place where they live
to continue to grow? Explain why this source is most likely the most helpful.
Use two details from the source to support your explanation.
(short constructed response)

3. Click on the boxes to match each source with the idea or ideas that it
supports. Some may have more than one source selected.

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 7

Part 2: Animals and Their Surroundings Informational Performance Task

4. Student Directions

You will now review your notes and sources, and plan, draft, revise, and edit your
writing. You may use your notes and go back to the sources. Now read your
assignment and the information about how your writing will be scored, and then
begin your work.

Your Assignment

Your teacher wants each student to write an informational article that will be
displayed with your science fair project. You decide to write about animals and
where they live. Your article will be read by other students, teachers, and parents.

Using more than one source, develop a main idea about animals and their
surroundings. Choose the most important information from more than one source
to support your main idea. Then, write an informational article about your main
idea that is several paragraphs long. Clearly organize your article and support your
main idea with details from the sources. Use your own words except when quoting
directly from the sources. Be sure to give the source title or number when using
details from the sources.

REMEMBER: A well-written informational article

• has a clear main idea

is well-organized and stays on the topic
has an introduction and conclusion
uses transitions
uses details from the sources to support your main idea
puts the information from the sources in your own words, except when using
direct quotations from the sources
gives the title or number of the source for the details or facts you included
• develops ideas clearly
• uses clear language
• follows rules of writing (spelling, punctuation, and grammar)

Now being work on your informational article. Manage your time carefully so
that you can
1. Plan your informational article.
2. Write your informational article
3. Revise and edit the final draft of your informational article.

Word processing tools and spell check are available to you.

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 8

For Part 2, you are being asked to write an informational article that is several
paragraphs long. Type your response in the box below. The box will get bigger as
you type.

Remember to check your notes and your pre-writing/planning as you write, and
then revise and edit your informational article.

(full-write response)

Grade 4 Informational Performance  Task: Animals and Their Surroundings 9