Hovering Over the Water: teacher key

Ospreys, grade 4 edition, written for 4th grade. An osprey is a fish-eating bird that hunts from the air. It is about 21 to 23 inches long, builds a large stick nest and lays eggs that hatch after about 40 days.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What size of fish do ospreys eat?
   • Medium-sized fish (answer)
   • Only tiny fish
   • Only huge fish
2. Which is larger?
   • A male osprey
   • They are the same size
   • A female osprey (answer)
3. About how high above the water do ospreys fly when they hunt?
   • Up to 4 meters
   • Up to about 40 meters (answer)
   • Up to 400 meters
4. About how long do the eggs take to hatch?
   • About 40 days (answer)
   • About 4 days
   • About 400 days
5. What does the word incubate mean?
   • Travel far
   • Stay in air
   • Keep eggs warm (answer)
6. What does an osprey's third eyelid do when it dives?
   • It holds a fish
   • It closes (answer)
   • It builds a nest

Words

• hovers: stays in air
• nostrils: nose holes
• wingspan: tip to tip
• incubate: keep eggs warm