Feedback on mini essays need not be in the form of a grade or even teacher comments. In most cases, you can have students read and comment on each other's work, during class time or for homework. When mini essays are returned, do a quick read-through to get a sense of the most typical strengths and weaknesses. Use a few typical samples as a basis for class discussion.
Big Bird is an 8-foot, 2-inch yellow bird who lives on Sesame Street. Since Sesame Street premiered in 1969, Big Bird has entertained millions of pre-school children and their parents with his wide-eyed wondering at the world.
1 I believe the largest living flying bird (in terms of body weight) is the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) as seen in your local park.  The largest (heaviest) flying bird today is the Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori) of Africa, males weigh about 18kg, females about half that. The largest bird ever to fly were the Teratorns (a type of Condor), the largest of which, Argentavis magnificens, had a wingspan of 3 metres, and weighed 120kg.