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Puff! How a Pufferfish Stays Safe

Read a grade 3 science article about how pufferfish puff up to stay safe, then answer questions on key details, order, causes and words.

Grade 3ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.3.10

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What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
10 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 3
Subject: ELA
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students read a grade 3 science article independently and recall its key details.
Students explain the order of events and the causes and effects described in an article.
Students use details from the text to answer questions and explain their thinking.

How to use

Have students read the article on their own first, then answer the questions. Encourage them to look back at the numbered paragraphs to check each answer.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.3.10

By the end of the year, read and understand informational texts in history, science, and technical subjects at the high end of grades 2-3, independently.

Preview

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Name Date

Puff! How a Pufferfish Stays Safe

Read a science article on your own and show what you learned.

Read the article

Read the article. Then answer the questions.

Puff! How a Pufferfish Stays Safe

1Most pufferfish live in warm parts of the ocean. Many fish dart away quickly when danger comes near, but a pufferfish cannot do that. It is a slow swimmer that uses its small fins to drift and turn. So how does this fish stay safe? It has a surprising trick.

2When a hungry animal comes close, the pufferfish gulps water into its stomach. Its stomach is very stretchy, so it can hold a lot of water. Very quickly, the fish swells up into a round ball that is much bigger than before. A big, round fish is very hard for a hunter to bite or swallow.

3Many pufferfish have small spines on their skin. Most of the time, the spines lie flat. When the fish puffs up, the spines stand up and stick out. Many pufferfish also have a poison inside their bodies. The poison makes them dangerous for many animals to eat.

4Puffing up takes a lot of energy, so a pufferfish does not do it often. When the danger has passed, the fish lets the water out and goes back to its usual size.

5Pufferfish have four strong teeth that grow together into a shape like a bird's beak. With this beak, a pufferfish can crack open the hard shells of clams, mussels and crabs.

6One kind of small pufferfish has another amazing skill. The male swims along the sandy sea floor and flaps his fins to push the sand into a big circle with ridges. The circle looks a bit like a flower. A female visits the circle and may lay her eggs in the middle.

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