Native Animal Information Report — Writing Prompt — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 5 informative writing writing prompt.
Year 5 · English · Informative Writing
Native Animal Information Report — Writing Prompt — Answers
Plan
Write notes in your own words. Do not copy whole sentences from your sources.
Answer: The kiwi is a flightless bird found only in New Zealand.
Answer: Appearance: kiwi have hair-like feathers and a long beak with nostrils at the tip.
Answer: Habitat: kiwi live in forests, scrub and tussock grasslands. They sleep in burrows or hollow logs during the day.
Answer: Diet: kiwi are nocturnal. They find worms, grubs and insects by smell, probing the soil with their beak.
Answer: A kiwi egg is huge compared with the size of the mother, about a fifth of her body weight.
Write
Model answer: The Kiwi. The kiwi is a flightless bird found only in New Zealand. Appearance: Kiwi have soft, hair-like feathers and strong legs. Unlike any other bird, they have nostrils at the tip of their long beak. Habitat: Kiwi live in native forest, scrub and tussock grassland. During the day they sleep in burrows, hollow logs or under thick plants. Diet: Kiwi are nocturnal and find their food by smell. They push their beaks into the soil to find worms, grubs and insects, and they also eat fallen fruit. Kiwi eggs are among the largest of any bird compared with the mother's size, weighing about a fifth of her body weight.
Success criteria:
- Title and classification statement
- At least three paragraphs with subheadings
- Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence
- Facts are accurate and in my own words
- Technical vocabulary is used and explained
- Formal, factual voice in the present tense
- Concluding sentence with a memorable fact
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.