Nature's Patterns
What is the main reason great egrets are able to stay in the Everglades even when other animals leave?
They can find food in different places like sloughs and alligator holes as water levels change.
What was the purpose of Woods's invention, the Multiplex Railway Telegraph?
It allowed train engineers to speak to each other and to people in the stations.
Based on the chart, which month has the highest average rainfall in the Everglades?
June (9.07 inches).
In the Everglades, what causes fish to become trapped and easier for egrets to catch?
The marshes drying up during the dry season.
What is the author's primary goal in writing the article about Granville T. Woods?
To show how his hard work and inventions improved train travel.
According to the passage, what is a "rookery"
An area where egrets nest together in groups.
Why did Woods want his friends to check out library books for him?
Unfair laws at the time prevented African Americans from borrowing books themselves.
How does the rainfall chart help a reader understand the text better?
It supports the idea that the wet season lasts from May to October/November.
What was the effect of the Multiplex Railway Telegraph on train travel?
It made travel safer and smoother because engineers knew when other trains were coming.
Both texts mention "steam" or "water." In the Woods text, what was steam used for?
To power the locomotive (train).
What happens when parents hold whole fish over the nest for their chicks?
The struggle among the chicks for the fish can become fierce.
What invention did Woods create to carry electricity to power trains instead of using coal?
The "third rail".
What is the overall text structure of the Granville T. Woods article?
Chronological (presenting events in the order they happened).
Why did Woods move back to Ohio and start a business with his brother?
He wanted to do things his own way and improve how railroads worked.
What evidence does the author provide to show that Woods was one of the "greatest inventors of his time"?
His inventions made travel safer and forms of them are still used today.
How does the author organize the information in paragraphs 3 and 4?
By comparing how egrets fish at different times of the year (wet vs. dry season).
How many patents did Woods hold by the end of his life?
60 or more.
The passage defines "fledglings" in paragraph 7. What are they?
Birds that have grown flight feathers.
What "difficulties" did Woods overcome to become an engineer?
He had limited schooling (only until age 10) and faced unfair laws regarding race.
The Everglades is nicknamed the "River of Grass." Why?
A thin layer of water flows through it, making the grass ripple like waves.
What specific body part does the egret use to "spear" fish in the marshes?
Its pointed yellow bill.
What job did Woods have at age 16 that required him to shovel coal into a steam engine furnace?
He was a "fireman" for the Iron Mountain Railroad.
According to the text, what does a "patent" allow an inventor to do?
It gives them the right to make and sell an invention.
Why are egrets often attracted to "alligator holes" during the dry season?
These small ponds are filled with fish, frogs, and other creatures for the birds to eat.
What do Granville T. Woods and the Great Egret have in common based on these texts?
Both had to find creative ways to succeed/survive when their environment became difficult.