Moa

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/moa

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How many people live in Moa?Estimated to have numbered in the millions prior to human arrival
2. What is the scientific name?Dinornithiformes
3. What is the habitat?Diverse ecosystems across New Zealand, including forests, shrublands, and grasslands
4. How tall could the biggest Moa get?The tallest Moa could reach about 3.6 meters, which is about 12 feet—taller than most people.
5. Why couldn't Moa fly?Because New Zealand had no big land mammals, Moa didn’t need to fly to escape predators, so over time their wings became very small and they lost the ability to fly.

Avian Gigantism: The evolutionary development of birds to exceptionally large sizes.
Endemic: Native or restricted to a certain country or area.
Polynesian Settlers: The indigenous peoples who migrated across the Pacific Ocean and settled islands like New Zealand.