Grade Three Reading Achievement – October 2003
Annotated Item 28
Standard and Benchmark Addressed:
Standard:
Benchmark:
Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text
D. Use visual aids as sources to gain additional information from text.
Passage:
Seahorses
Seahorses’ Bodies
Little horses that live in the sea might sound like fairy tale creatures, but seahorses are
very real. Of course, they are really fish, not horses. You can’t put a saddle on a
seahorse and ride it in the water! They do not have long legs or pointed ears. They are
called seahorses because their heads are shaped like the head of a horse.
Hard, bony scales like a knight’s armor cover the seahorse’s body. These scales help
protect the seahorse. They keep the seahorse warm in cooler water and cool in warmer
water. But their heavy scales also make them very bad swimmers.
Like monkeys, seahorses have long skinny tails. Monkeys use their tails to help them
climb trees. Seahorses use their tails to keep them safe while they sleep. They hold
onto plants and rocks with their tails so they won’t float away. Then they can rest and
sleep safely. Seahorses also use their tails to hold on to one another. Baby seahorses
often hold tails like children hold hands. This helps keep them from floating off alone.
A seahorse’s mouth is shaped like a long tube. Seahorses like to eat smaller fish and
plants.
Habitat
The natural habitat of seahorses is in the ocean where the water is warm and shallow.
Many seahorses live in tropical areas where the water is always warm. Some live in the
Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Seahorse is the largest type of seahorse. It can grow as long
as 12 inches. Most seahorses, though, are much smaller – just 6 inches long.
Camouflage
Are seahorses colored brown, black, gray or white like real horses? Seahorses come in
lots of different colors. They can be white, yellow, red, brown, black, gray, spotted or
striped. Seahorses can even change color in the blink of an eye! They can change color
to match the background. They use camouflage to hide from their enemies. This is one
of the ways they survive. Otherwise, a seahorse might become a tasty snack for larger
fish, birds, crabs or sea turtles.
Seahorse Families
Seahorse families are very unusual compared to other animal families. Instead of the
female having the babies, the male carries them in a pouch until it is time for them to be
born.
Grade Three Reading Achievement – October 2003
Annotated Item 28
Most fish hatch from eggs, but tiny baby seahorses are born live from this pouch. Some
males carry 12 babies, and some carry 100 babies at once. It depends on the size and
type of seahorse. Once a seahorse is born, it lives about four years.
WORD BANK
armor – a tough, protective covering
camouflage – the disguise of people or animals to make them look like what is around
them
habitat – the place where an animal or plant normally lives
Extended Response Question:
Use information from the reading selection to complete the diagram.
The mouth looks like a
The head looks like a
The scales help the seahorse
Seahorse
Image
The tail helps the seahorse
Commentary
This question asks students to use a visual aid to identify information from the selection.
Performance Data:
0
16%
1
13%
Percentage at Each Score Point
2
3
16%
24%
4
29%
Grade Three Reading Achievement – October 2003
Annotated Item 28
Scoring Guidelines:
Points
4
3
2
1
0
Student Response
Response correctly completes the four blanks.
Example:
1. long tube
2. horse head
3. stay warm or cool
4. stay safe while sleeping
Response correctly completes the four blanks.
Example:
1. long tube
2. horse head
3. stay warm or cool
Response correctly completes the four blanks.
Example:
1. long tube
2. horse head
Response correctly completes the four blanks.
Example:
1. long tube
Response is incorrect or irrelevant.
Keyword:
Link Passage:
Visual Aids
Seahorses