Worksheet

The Rubber Duck Derby: Say It Exactly

Grade 4 precise language practice: fix a vague event flyer and a race report with exact details about when, where, how many and what happened.

Grade 4ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toL.4.3.a

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What’s included

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

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 4
Subject: ELA
Question types: Fill in the blank, Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students choose phrases that tell exactly when, where, how many and how much.
Students replace vague words in a report with precise verbs and nouns.

How to use

Read Jada's first flyer aloud and ask what readers would still need to know. Then let students work through the flyer and report questions on their own.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

L.4.3.a

Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

Preview

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Name Date

The Rubber Duck Derby: Say It Exactly

Use precise words and phrases in a flyer and a news report.

Make the flyer exact

Help Jada choose words that tell readers exactly what they need to know.

The fourth graders at Cedar Park School are holding a Rubber Duck Derby to raise money for a class trip to the science center. People buy numbered rubber ducks. On race day, all the ducks are dropped into Pine Creek, and the first ducks to float to the finish line win prizes.

Jada wrote the first flyer, but her words were vague: "Come to our duck thing soon! It will be by the water. Ducks cost some money. You could win stuff! You will have a nice time."

Which sentence should replace "Come to our duck thing soon!"?

A. Come to our fun duck event at some point soon!
B. Come to our big thing with ducks this spring!
C. Come to the Rubber Duck Derby on Saturday, May 9!
D. Come to the duck race, which is happening sometime!

Which sentence should replace "Ducks cost some money."?

A. Each duck costs $2, or you can get 5 ducks for $8.
B. Each duck costs a small amount, so bring a little.
C. Ducks cost money, but they do not cost very much.
D. Ducks cost some money, so be sure to bring enough.

Jada tried four sentences about the prizes. Underline the two sentences that tell readers exactly what they could win.

The first duck wins a big box of art supplies.The winners will get some really great things.Lots of people might win lots of fun prizes.The second duck wins a family pass to the pool.

Here are details from Jada's finished flyer. Sort them. Does each detail tell exactly when, exactly where, or exactly how many?

at 10:00 in the morning200 numbered ducksbeside the big willow treeat the end of the Pine Creek footpathon Saturday, May 912 student helpers in yellow shirts

Exactly when	Exactly where	Exactly how many

Make the race report exact

After the derby, Omar wrote a report for the school newsletter. Help him choose exact words.

Write the more exact word or phrase from each pair in parentheses.

On (a day / Saturday morning), Ms. Ferreira tipped a (laundry basket / thing) full of ducks into Pine Creek. The ducks (went / drifted) slowly past the willow tree while (300 / a bunch of) people watched from the banks.

Which word names the sound most exactly? "The ducks landed in the creek with a loud ___."

A. noise
B. hum
C. crunch
D. splash

Omar's first draft had vague words. Match each sentence to the exact word that should replace the underlined words.

The crowd made noise when duck 47 crossed the finish line.
Ms. Ferreira gave the winner a thing shaped like a golden duck.
Kids who stood too close to the water got really wet.
Duck 47 moved fast past all the other ducks.

A. soaked
B. cheered
C. zipped
D. trophy

Omar wants readers to know exactly how much money the class raised. Which sentence does that?

A. The class raised a whole lot of money for the trip.
B. The class raised $412 for the science center trip.
C. The class raised more money than anyone expected.
D. The class raised enough money and then some extra.

Here is the end of Omar's report. His teacher says one sentence is still vague. Underline that sentence.

Six ducks got tangled in a clump of floating weeds near the old oak.Mr. Lin waded into the shallow water and freed them with a net.Then some stuff happened with a few of the other ducks.Duck 47 bobbed across the finish line at 10:14.