Crow Brainiacs Reading Worksheet
Resource Reading Lab • Grade 7 Nonfiction Science
Student Name
Date
Period
High-Interest Science
Crow Brainiacs
The shocking secrets of the smartest feathered problem-solvers on Earth.
Lexile Focus Chunked Text
1. Corvid: The bird family that includes crows, ravens, and jays.
2. Adaptable: Able to adjust and survive in new or changing environments.
3. Recognition: The ability to remember and identify something seen before.
¶ 1
You have probably seen crows perched on telephone poles or digging through garbage bins in parking lots. Because they are common and noisy, many people think of them as pests. But scientists have discovered that crows belong to the corvid family, a group of birds with brainpower that rivals chimpanzees and dolphins. Pound for pound, a crow’s forebrain is packed with brain cells that allow it to plan, reason, and solve tricky puzzles.
¶ 2
One of their most astonishing abilities is facial recognition. At a university in Washington, researchers wore rubber caveman masks while trapping and tagging wild crows. Months later, whenever anyone walked across campus wearing that exact caveman mask, the crows scolded, swooped, and cawed angrily at them! Even years later—and even among younger crows that were never trapped—the birds remembered the threatening face. Crows actually warn their family members about humans they do not trust.
¶ 3
Crows are also master toolmakers. In research laboratories, a New Caledonian crow named Betty was given a deep tube with a tiny bucket of meat at the bottom. Betty was handed a straight metal wire. Without any training, she wedged the wire into a crack, bent the tip with her beak to form a hook, and lifted the bucket out. This proved that crows do not merely act on basic instinct; they understand cause and effect.
¶ 4
Because they are so adaptable, crows thrive right alongside human civilization. They drop hard nuts onto crosswalks and wait patiently on lampposts for moving cars to crack the shells. Then, they wait for the pedestrian traffic light to turn green before swooping down safely to feast! Next time you hear a loud "caw" outside your window, look closely. You might just be looking at one of nature's smartest detectives.
Next Step: Turn to Page 2 to answer the reading questions. You may look back at the text anytime!
Page 1 of 2
Comprehension & Analysis Check
Refer back to "Crow Brainiacs" to provide text-based answers.
5 Questions • 20 Pts Total
Question 1 • Central Idea Standard RI.7.1
Which sentence best states the central idea of the passage?
A. Crows are noisy pests that cause trouble in parking lots.
B. Crows possess remarkable intelligence and problem-solving skills.
C. Betty is the only crow in history capable of using tools.
D. Scientists prefer studying dolphins rather than common birds.
Question 2 • Text Evidence Standard RI.7.1
According to Paragraph 2, how did the crows react when they saw people wearing the caveman mask?
A. They offered pieces of food and nuts to the researchers.
B. They completely ignored the mask and flew quietly away.
C. They scolded, swooped, and loudly warned other crows.
D. They forgot the mask after only three weeks had passed.
Question 3 • Vocabulary in Context Standard RI.7.4
In Paragraph 4, what does the word adaptable most likely mean?
A. Able to change habits to survive in different situations.
B. Frightened by cars, trucks, and large city buildings.
C. Moving south to warmer weather during the winter.
D. Building large nests only in undisturbed forests.
Question 4 • Cause & Effect Standard RI.7.3
How did Betty the crow solve the problem of reaching the meat at the bottom of the deep tube? Write 1-2 complete sentences.
Question 5 • Extended Response & Evidence Standard RI.7.1 / W.7.9
Explain one clever behavior crows use in cities to get food. Include at least one piece of text evidence from Paragraph 4.
Resource Strategy Check: Reread text Eliminated choices Cited evidence
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Crow Brainiacs Answer Key
Educator Resource • Answer Key & Scoring Guide Total Score: 20 Points
Crow Brainiacs Answer Key
Grade 7 Resource Classroom • CCSS Reading Informational Text (RI.7.1, RI.7.3, RI.7.4)
Quick Key: 1: B 2: C 3: A
Q1 • Central Idea 3 Pts
Correct: B
Rationale: The entire passage focuses on crow cognitive abilities, problem-solving, and memory across multiple studies.
Distractor Note: A reflects a common myth refuted in ¶1; C and D are overly narrow details.
Q2 • Text Evidence 3 Pts
Correct: C
Rationale: Direct citation in Paragraph 2: the crows "scolded, swooped, and cawed angrily" at anyone wearing the mask.
Location: Paragraph 2, lines 4-6. Demonstrates facial recognition and alarm communication.
Q3 • Context Clue 3 Pts
Correct: A
Rationale: Paragraph 4 describes crows living alongside cities and utilizing cars and crosswalk signals to crack nuts.
Word Bank Tie-in: Pre-reading defined adaptable as able to adjust and survive in new settings.
Question 4 • Cause & Effect (5 Points) Standard RI.7.3
Exemplar Student Response:
"Betty used a crack to bend the straight metal wire into a hook with her beak. Then, she lowered the hook down into the tube and lifted the meat out."
Full Credit (5 pts): Mentions both bending the wire into a hook AND using it to lift the food/bucket. Complete sentence.
Partial Credit (2-3 pts): Mentions using wire or making a hook, but omits how it solved the problem or is a fragment.
Question 5 • Extended Response with Text Evidence (6 Points) Standard RI.7.1 & W.7.9
Exemplar Student Response:
"In cities, crows use cars as nutcrackers. According to Paragraph 4, crows 'drop hard nuts onto crosswalks' so moving cars crack them open, and then wait for pedestrian lights to turn green before eating safely."
Full Credit (6 pts): Accurately explains the traffic/nut behavior (3 pts) AND cites direct quote or specific detail from ¶4 (3 pts).
Partial Credit (3-4 pts): Describes the behavior accurately but lacks text evidence citation, or cites text without explanation.
Resource Room Scaffolding & IEP Accommodation Strategies
Oral / Scribe Option: Allow students with fine-motor or dysgraphia goals to dictate responses for Q4 and Q5.
Sentence Starters: Provide: and
