Then each group will make a HyperStudio card about the group's duck. The cards will be compiled into a class stack on ducks. The writing may be humorous or serious. The book explains that some ducks are named according to their distinguishing characteristics, such as the Pintail Duck. Non-Fiction Watching Water Birds by Jim Arnosky Prereading Activity Ask students to identify which species of duck is presented in the illustration on the cover of the book.
Activities Have students take notes about the wings of ducks.
Have them cluster facts about duck wings. Ask each student to use these ideas to write a sentence or two about which detail about duck wings is most important to a duck and why. Ask the students to read the sections of the book that pertain to other water birds. Have them make a list of those birds that are most similar to ducks, and include in the list what those similarities are. The book provides both the female and male sexes of each duck that is presented.