How Do Koalas Live?
A short information text about koalas, with eight questions on finding facts, word meanings and working out reasons.
Read the passage
Meet the koala
Koalas live in the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. They look like small bears, but they are not bears at all. A koala is a marsupial, which means it carries its baby in a pouch, just like a kangaroo.
Sleepy eaters
Koalas eat the leaves of eucalyptus trees. These leaves are tough and do not give much energy. Because of this, koalas sleep for about 18 to 22 hours every day. They rest in the fork of a tree and wake up mostly at night to feed. Sharp claws and strong arms help a koala grip the trunk. A koala also drinks very little, because it gets much of its water from the leaves it eats.
Baby koalas
A baby koala is called a joey. When it is born, it is tiny, about the size of a jellybean, and it crawls into its mother’s pouch. It stays there for about six months. After that, the joey rides on its mother’s back and clings to her fur while she climbs.
Staying safe
In some places, koalas are in danger because forests are being cut down and bushfires destroy their homes. Many people work to protect koalas by planting trees and caring for hurt animals in wildlife hospitals.
Answer the questions
- Where do koalas live? (1 mark)
- What is a marsupial, according to the text? (1 mark)
- What is a joey, according to the text? (1 mark)
- Why do koalas sleep for so many hours every day? Use the text to explain. (2 marks)
- Number these events 1 to 3 in the order they happen. (2 marks)• The joey rides on its mother’s back.• The joey is born and crawls into its mother’s pouch.• The joey stays in the pouch for about six months.
- The text says koalas “look like small bears, but they are not bears at all.” What does this tell you about why some people call them bears? (2 marks)
- Why do you think planting trees helps koalas? (2 marks)
- Write one sentence that tells the main idea of the whole text. (2 marks)
Answer key for parents and teachers
1. In the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia. (1 mark)
Finding information. A fact stated in the first section.
2. An animal that carries its baby in a pouch, like a kangaroo. (1 mark)
Finding information. The text explains the word, so the child practises finding a definition in the passage.
3. A baby koala. (1 mark)
Word meaning. Finding the meaning of a key word in the text.
4. Eucalyptus leaves are tough and give them very little energy. (2 marks)
Explaining from the text. A cause-and-effect link between two sentences in the same section.
5. 1. The joey is born and crawls into its mother’s pouch. 2. The joey stays in the pouch for about six months. 3. The joey rides on its mother’s back. (2 marks)
Sequencing events. Putting a life cycle in order shows the child followed the text from start to finish.
6. They look like bears, so people think they are bears. (2 marks)
Inference. Reading between the lines to explain why a mistake is common.
7. Koalas live in forests and eat eucalyptus leaves, so more trees give them homes and food. (2 marks)
Inference. The text gives facts in separate sections. The child joins them to work out the reason.
8. One point for what a koala is or how it lives (a sleepy marsupial that eats eucalyptus leaves); one for another main idea (joeys grow in the pouch, or koalas need protecting). (2 marks)
Summarising. Sum up a whole text in one sentence.
What this practises
Finding information, Word meaning, Explaining from the text, Sequencing events, Inference, Summarising. This sheet links to Comprehension Strategies (AC9E3LY05). Schools and states deliver the Australian Curriculum (version 9) in different ways, so check what your child's school uses. Marks and answers are a guide: accept any sensible answer that is backed up by the text.
Now try the writing task
Imagine you are a joey riding on your mother’s back. Write about what you see and hear.
Aim for five to eight sentences. Read it back aloud together and fix anything that does not sound right.
Want feedback on your child's own writing?
You mark the worksheet yourself with the answer key. LiteracyLab AI is different: it reads what your child has written and gives specific feedback, such as what worked, one thing to try next, and a corrected version, matched to their year. The Free plan includes 3 pieces a month and needs no card.
More Year 3 worksheets
Free to print and copy for your own family or classroom. Please do not sell or republish. The passage and questions were written for LiteracyLab AI.