Beaks, Feet and Leaves is a free printable Grade 4 science worksheet on arguing from a structure's shape to the job it does for survival, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 4-LS1-1. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
1.A woodpecker has a strong, chisel-like beak. What is it built for?
A.Sipping nectar
B.Catching fish
C.Drilling into bark to reach insects
2.A bird has a long, thin, curved beak. Which food is it built to reach?
A.Hard nuts on the ground
B.Fish in a lake
C.Nectar deep inside a flower
3.A desert plant's leaves have a thick, waxy coat. How does it help?
A.It makes the leaves taste sweet
B.It catches more rain
C.It stops water escaping in the heat
4.A water lily's leaves float flat on the pond. How does that help?
A.They keep the fish warm
B.They lie in the sunlight on the surface
C.They stop the pond freezing
5.A frog has long, strong back legs. What do they help it do?
A.Leap away from danger and swim
B.Climb smooth glass
C.Dig deep burrows
6.A pine tree has thin needle-shaped leaves. How do they help it through a snowy winter?
A.They melt the snow
B.Snow slides off them and they lose little water
C.They fall off every night
7.An eagle has a sharp hooked beak. How does it help the eagle survive?
A.It cracks seeds
B.It sieves water
C.It tears meat from the animals the eagle catches
8.A polar bear has fur on the soles of its feet. How does that help?
A.It helps it climb trees
B.It makes it run faster on sand
C.It grips the ice and keeps its feet warm
LessonPrint · 4-LS1-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Beaks, Feet and Leaves
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.Drilling into bark to reach insects
2.Nectar deep inside a flower
3.It stops water escaping in the heat
4.They lie in the sunlight on the surface
5.Leap away from danger and swim
6.Snow slides off them and they lose little water
7.It tears meat from the animals the eagle catches
8.It grips the ice and keeps its feet warm
Questions about Beaks, Feet and Leaves
What does the Beaks, Feet and Leaves worksheet cover?
It practices arguing from a structure's shape to the job it does for survival — 8 questions for Grade 4, all on NGSS 4-LS1-1: Argue that inside and outside body parts help a living thing survive and grow. The instruction to students is “Circle the best answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Beaks, Feet and Leaves practice?
4-LS1-1, under Life Science for Grade 4. The published performance expectation reads: “Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Beaks, Feet and Leaves is written for Grade 4, typically ages 9-10. It is one of the sheets on 4-LS1-1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Beaks, Feet and Leaves come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Beaks, Feet and Leaves can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Beaks, Feet and Leaves free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Beaks, Feet and Leaves, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
More practice for 4-LS1-1
Argue that inside and outside body parts help a living thing survive and grow.