Animal Secrets
Polar bears have thick white fur. This fur helps them hide in the white snow so other animals cannot see them. According to the text, why is their fur white?
To help them hide in the snow.
Long ago, many people in NC lived on farms. They grew corn and beans to feed their families. According to the text, what are two things they grew?
Corn and beans
The Earth spins around like a top. When our side of Earth faces the Sun, it is daytime. According to the text, why is it daytime?
Because we face the Sun.
A thermometer is a tool. It tells us if the air is hot or cold. What does a thermometer measure?
Temperature
The Coastal Plain is very flat. It is next to the ocean. Which part of NC is next to the ocean?
The Coastal Plain
Some frogs are bright red or orange. These bright colors warn birds that the frog tastes bad or is dangerous. Based on the text, what does a bright color mean?
The frog is dangerous or tastes bad.
The Venus Flytrap is a famous plant that grows in the wild only near Wilmington, NC. Based on the text, can you find this plant in the mountains?
No
The Moon does not make its own light. It looks bright because it reflects, or bounces, light from the Sun. Where does the Moon’s light come from?
The Sun.
Cumulonimbus clouds are tall, dark, and puffy. When pilots see them, they know a thunderstorm is coming. What kind of weather do these clouds bring?
A thunderstorm
The Mountains are in the West. It is the highest land in the state. Where are the mountains found?
In the West.
Camels have long eyelashes. These lashes keep blowing sand out of their eyes in the desert. You can infer that it is very ________ in the desert.
Windy or sandy
In the past, people used the big trees in NC to build ships. You can infer that NC had a lot of this natural resource.
Trees (or forests/wood)?
Dark clouds are filling the sky. The wind is starting to blow very hard. You can infer that this is about to happen.
Storm or rain.
Rain falls from clouds. If the air is very cold (below 32 degrees), the rain turns into snow. What makes rain turn into snow?
Cold air
The Piedmont is between the mountains and the coast. It has many big cities and lots of people. You can infer that this is a busy place to live.
An owl has very large eyes and can see well in the dark. It hunts for food while other animals are sleeping. You can infer that an owl hunts during this time.
At night
The text says: "The first schools in NC were just one room. Children of all ages studied together with one teacher." You can infer that these schools were different from ours because of this.
They only had one room (or one teacher for everyone)
It is much harder to breathe at the top of a very high mountain because there is less oxygen in the air. You can infer that hikers need to do this.
They need to move slowly or take extra air/rest.
In the fall, the air gets cooler, and the leaves change color. You can infer that the trees are getting ready for this season.
Winter
Long ago, it was hard to move from the flat coast to the hilly Piedmont because of waterfalls in the rivers. Infer how people traveled back then.
By boat
The text says: "A woodchuck eats a lot of food in the fall. Then, it sleeps all winter in a deep hole to save energy." Infer why the woodchuck eats so much before winter.
It won't eat while it sleeps (or to have energy for winter)
"Lighthouses were built on the coast to flash bright lights at night. This told ship captains to stay away from the dangerous, shallow sand." Infer what might happen to a ship if the lighthouse light went out.
It would hit the sand or crash.
The text says: "In the summer, the sunlight hits our part of Earth directly. In the winter, the sunlight hits us at an angle and is weaker." Infer why it is colder in the winter.
Because the sunlight is weaker (or not directly on us.
The text says: "The sun's heat turns water into a gas called vapor. This gas rises up into the sky." Infer what would happen to the water if the sun stopped shining.
The water would stay on the ground.
The text says: "The Coastal Plain has rich soil and flat land. The Mountain region has rocky soil and steep hills." Infer which region is better for big farms.
The Coastal Plain.