4th grade nonfiction passage about fish that hunt with water: 183 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.
4th gradenonfictionfish that hunt with water183 words
The Archerfish Spits at Its Supper
Most fish catch their food in the water. The archerfish does something different. It hunts insects that sit on leaves and twigs above the surface of a stream.
The archerfish swims just under the surface and looks up. When it spots a beetle or a spider, it presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth. Then it squeezes its gills shut. A thin jet of water shoots out of its mouth like a tiny stream from a squirt gun.
The jet hits the insect and knocks it into the water. Before it can paddle away, the fish gobbles it up.
Aiming is tricky. Light bends when it passes from water into air, so an insect is not exactly where it seems to be. Young archerfish often miss. With practice, they learn to hit their targets very well. Some can even hit a target that is a long way above them.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow waters near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia. Its water gun lets it find food that no other fish can reach.
Questions
What kind of food does the archerfish hunt? in the text
How does the archerfish make a jet of water? in the text
What happens when the jet of water hits an insect? in the text
Why is aiming tricky for the archerfish? in the text
Where does the archerfish live? in the text
Why do young archerfish miss more often than older ones? think about it
Words to know
surface
the top layer of the water
groove
a long, narrow dent or channel
jet
a fast, thin stream of liquid
gobbles
eats something quickly
target
the thing you are trying to hit
Name ____________________________ Date ______________
The Archerfish Spits at Its Supper
4th grade reading passage
Most fish catch their food in the water. The archerfish does something different. It hunts insects that sit on leaves and twigs above the surface of a stream.
The archerfish swims just under the surface and looks up. When it spots a beetle or a spider, it presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth. Then it squeezes its gills shut. A thin jet of water shoots out of its mouth like a tiny stream from a squirt gun.
The jet hits the insect and knocks it into the water. Before it can paddle away, the fish gobbles it up.
Aiming is tricky. Light bends when it passes from water into air, so an insect is not exactly where it seems to be. Young archerfish often miss. With practice, they learn to hit their targets very well. Some can even hit a target that is a long way above them.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow waters near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia. Its water gun lets it find food that no other fish can reach.
Questions
What kind of food does the archerfish hunt?
How does the archerfish make a jet of water?
What happens when the jet of water hits an insect?
Why is aiming tricky for the archerfish?
Where does the archerfish live?
Why do young archerfish miss more often than older ones?
Words to know
surface: the top layer of the water
groove: a long, narrow dent or channel
jet: a fast, thin stream of liquid
gobbles: eats something quickly
target: the thing you are trying to hit
Free at teach.peabody.kids/passages/4/archerfish-spits-at-its-supper
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One passage, three levels
The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.
● Easier · 133 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2
Most fish catch food in the water. The archerfish is different. It hunts bugs that sit on leaves above a stream.
The fish swims just under the top of the water and looks up. When it sees a beetle, it squeezes its mouth and gills. A thin jet of water shoots out. It is like a squirt gun.
The jet hits the bug. The bug falls into the water. The fish eats it fast.
Aiming is hard. Light bends when it goes from water into air. So the bug is not quite where it looks. Young archerfish miss a lot. With practice, they get good.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow water near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia. Its water gun helps it find food that other fish cannot reach.
▲ This passage · 183 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4
Most fish catch their food in the water. The archerfish does something different. It hunts insects that sit on leaves and twigs above the surface of a stream.
The archerfish swims just under the surface and looks up. When it spots a beetle or a spider, it presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth. Then it squeezes its gills shut. A thin jet of water shoots out of its mouth like a tiny stream from a squirt gun.
The jet hits the insect and knocks it into the water. Before it can paddle away, the fish gobbles it up.
Aiming is tricky. Light bends when it passes from water into air, so an insect is not exactly where it seems to be. Young archerfish often miss. With practice, they learn to hit their targets very well. Some can even hit a target that is a long way above them.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow waters near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia. Its water gun lets it find food that no other fish can reach.
■ Harder · 190 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.7
Most fish capture their food beneath the surface of the water, but the archerfish has developed a remarkably different method. It hunts insects that rest on leaves and twigs hanging over a stream.
Swimming just below the surface, the archerfish gazes upward. When it spots a beetle or a spider, it presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth and then squeezes its gills shut. A thin, powerful jet of water shoots from its mouth, much like a stream from a squirt gun.
The jet strikes the insect and knocks it into the water, and before the stunned creature can paddle away, the fish swallows it. Aiming, however, is a difficult skill. Because light bends as it passes from water into air, an insect is never exactly where it appears to be. Young archerfish frequently miss, but with practice they learn to strike their targets with great accuracy, even when the target is a long way overhead.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow coastal waters in parts of Asia and Australia, where its water gun allows it to reach food that no other fish can.
Most fish catch food in the water. The archerfish is different. It hunts bugs that sit on leaves above a stream.
The fish swims just under the top of the water and looks up. When it sees a beetle, it squeezes its mouth and gills. A thin jet of water shoots out. It is like a squirt gun.
The jet hits the bug. The bug falls into the water. The fish eats it fast.
Aiming is hard. Light bends when it goes from water into air. So the bug is not quite where it looks. Young archerfish miss a lot. With practice, they get good.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow water near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia. Its water gun helps it find food that other fish cannot reach.
Questions
What does the archerfish hunt?
How does the archerfish make a jet of water?
What happens when the jet hits a bug?
Why is aiming hard for the archerfish?
Where does the archerfish live?
Why do young archerfish miss a lot?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________▲
The Archerfish Spits at Its Supper
Most fish catch their food in the water. The archerfish does something different. It hunts insects that sit on leaves and twigs above the surface of a stream.
The archerfish swims just under the surface and looks up. When it spots a beetle or a spider, it presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth. Then it squeezes its gills shut. A thin jet of water shoots out of its mouth like a tiny stream from a squirt gun.
The jet hits the insect and knocks it into the water. Before it can paddle away, the fish gobbles it up.
Aiming is tricky. Light bends when it passes from water into air, so an insect is not exactly where it seems to be. Young archerfish often miss. With practice, they learn to hit their targets very well. Some can even hit a target that is a long way above them.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow waters near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia. Its water gun lets it find food that no other fish can reach.
Questions
What kind of food does the archerfish hunt?
How does the archerfish make a jet of water?
What happens when the jet of water hits an insect?
Why is aiming tricky for the archerfish?
Where does the archerfish live?
Why do young archerfish miss more often than older ones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Name ____________________■
The Archerfish Spits at Its Supper
Most fish capture their food beneath the surface of the water, but the archerfish has developed a remarkably different method. It hunts insects that rest on leaves and twigs hanging over a stream.
Swimming just below the surface, the archerfish gazes upward. When it spots a beetle or a spider, it presses its tongue against a groove in the roof of its mouth and then squeezes its gills shut. A thin, powerful jet of water shoots from its mouth, much like a stream from a squirt gun.
The jet strikes the insect and knocks it into the water, and before the stunned creature can paddle away, the fish swallows it. Aiming, however, is a difficult skill. Because light bends as it passes from water into air, an insect is never exactly where it appears to be. Young archerfish frequently miss, but with practice they learn to strike their targets with great accuracy, even when the target is a long way overhead.
The archerfish lives in streams and shallow coastal waters in parts of Asia and Australia, where its water gun allows it to reach food that no other fish can.
Questions
What kind of food does the archerfish hunt?
How does the archerfish make its jet of water?
What happens to an insect struck by the jet?
Why is aiming so difficult?
Where does the archerfish live?
Why do young archerfish miss more often than older ones?
Free at teach.peabody.kids
Answer key: The Archerfish Spits at Its Supper
● Easier (Flesch-Kincaid grade 2)
Bugs that sit on leaves above the water.
It squeezes its mouth and gills.
The bug falls into the water and the fish eats it.
Light bends from water into air, so the bug is not where it looks.
In streams and shallow water near coasts in Asia and Australia.
They are still learning and get better with practice.
▲ This passage (Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.4)
Insects that sit on leaves and twigs above the water.
It presses its tongue against a groove in its mouth and squeezes its gills shut.
The insect is knocked into the water and the fish eats it.
Light bends when it passes from water into air, so the insect is not exactly where it seems to be.
In streams and shallow waters near coasts in parts of Asia and Australia.
They are still learning. The passage says they get better with practice.
■ Harder (Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.7)
Insects that rest on leaves and twigs above the water.
It presses its tongue against a groove in its mouth and squeezes its gills shut.
It is knocked into the water and the fish swallows it.
Light bends from water into air, so an insect is never exactly where it appears to be.
In streams and shallow coastal waters in parts of Asia and Australia.
They are still learning, and the passage says accuracy comes with practice.
Free at teach.peabody.kids
How to use it
Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.
Ideas for class
Before reading, put surface, groove, jet, gobbles and target on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
Question 6 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.
What reading level is "The Archerfish Spits at Its Supper"?
It was written for 4th grade. It has 183 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 4.3. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.
What do the questions ask?
There are six. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.
How long does it take to read?
About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.
Can I print it?
Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.
Is this passage from a published book?
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