Nature's Wonders
The Grand Canyon is a massive gorge in Arizona carved by the Colorado River over millions of years. It is over one mile deep and nearly 300 miles long. Visitors come from all over the world to see the colorful layers of rock.
Question: What force of nature carved the Grand Canyon?
What is the Colorado River?
Thomas Edison is famous for inventing the first long-lasting electric light bulb. Before this, people had to use candles or gas lamps that could be dangerous and dim. This invention changed the way people lived by allowing them to work and play after dark.
Question: How did the light bulb change the way people lived?
What is allowing them to work/play after dark?
Great White Sharks have thousands of teeth arranged in several rows. When a shark loses a tooth, a new one from the row behind it moves forward to take its place. A single shark can go through 20,000 teeth in its lifetime.
Question: What happens when a Great White Shark loses a tooth?
What is a new one moves forward to replace it?
Your brain uses 20% of the energy produced by your body, even though it only weighs about three pounds. It requires constant oxygen and sugar to keep functioning properly. This is why you might feel "foggy" if you are hungry or tired.
Question: What percentage of your body's energy does the brain use?
What is 20%?
Harriet Tubman was a brave woman who escaped from slavery and then returned 19 times to help others escape too. She used a secret path called the Underground Railroad. She was so successful that she was never caught.
Question: How many times did Harriet Tubman return to help others escape?
What is 19 times?
Bamboo is a type of grass that can grow very quickly, sometimes over three feet in a single day. Because it grows so fast, it is a very sustainable material for making furniture and floors. Giant pandas rely on this plant as their primary source of food.
Question: Why is bamboo considered a "sustainable" material in this text?
What is because it grows very quickly?
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone because he wanted a better way for people to communicate over long distances. His first successful call was to his assistant in the next room. He famously said, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."
Question: Who was the first person ever called on a telephone?
Who is Mr. Watson?
Coral reefs are often called the "rainforests of the sea" because they are home to so many different creatures. They are actually made of tiny animals called polyps that build hard skeletons around themselves. These reefs protect coastlines from being washed away by big waves.
Question: What tiny animals are responsible for building coral reefs?
What are polyps?
The left side of your brain controls the right side of your body, and the right side of your brain controls the left. Scientists believe the left side is usually better at logic and math. The right side is often more involved in being creative and artistic.
Question: Which side of the brain is usually linked to being creative?
What is the right side?
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States and is famous for his very tall hat. He led the country during the Civil War and worked to end slavery. He is often remembered for being very honest, earning the nickname "Honest Abe."
Question: What was Abraham Lincoln’s famous nickname?
What is Honest Abe?
The Venus Flytrap is a unique plant that catches and eats insects to get nutrients. When a bug crawls onto its leaves and touches tiny hairs, the "trap" snaps shut in less than a second. This plant is mostly found in the wetlands of North and South Carolina.
Question: How does the plant know when to close its trap?
What is when a bug touches its tiny hairs?
The Wright brothers were the first people to fly a powered airplane in 1903. Their first flight only lasted 12 seconds and covered about 120 feet. Though it was short, it proved that human flight was possible.
Question: How long did the first powered airplane flight last?
What is 12 seconds?
The Giant Squid is a mysterious creature that lives in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean. It has eyes the size of basketballs to help it see in the dark water. Its only natural enemy is the Sperm Whale.
Question: Why does the Giant Squid have such large eyes?
What is to help it see in the dark?
Messages travel through your brain at speeds of up to 260 miles per hour. These messages are sent by tiny cells called neurons using small pulses of electricity. This allows you to react almost instantly when you touch something hot.
Question: What are the tiny cells in your brain called?
What are neurons?
Marie Curie was a scientist who discovered two new elements called polonium and radium. She was the first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize. Her work helped doctors find better ways to treat many diseases.
Question: What were the names of the two elements Marie Curie discovered?
What are polonium and radium?
Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth, reaching heights of over 350 feet. Their thick bark protects them from wildfires and hungry insects. Some of these ancient trees have lived for more than 2,000 years.
Question: What are two things the thick bark protects the tree from?
What are fire and insects?
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1400s, which allowed books to be made much faster. Before this, every book had to be written by hand, making them very expensive. This invention helped more people learn how to read.
Question: Why were books so expensive before the printing press?
What is because they had to be written by hand?
Sea Otters are very clever animals that use rocks as tools to crack open shellfish. They often sleep in "rafts" or groups while holding hands so they don't drift apart. They have the thickest fur of any animal to keep them warm in cold water.
Question: Why do sea otters hold hands while they sleep?
What is so they don't drift apart?
When you learn something new, your brain actually changes its shape by growing new connections between cells. This process is called "plasticity." The more you practice a skill, the stronger these connections become.
Question: What is the name for the brain's ability to change its shape as you learn?
What is plasticity?
Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era. He faced many mean people, but he stayed calm and played excellently. He was eventually voted into the Hall of Fame for his talent and courage.
Question: Why is Jackie Robinson a famous figure in sports history?
What is being the first African American to play Major League Baseball?
Deserts are defined as areas that receive very little rainfall each year. While many people think deserts are always hot, some, like the Gobi Desert, can be extremely cold. Animals that live there have special adaptations to survive with very little water.
Question: According to the text, what is the main characteristic that defines a desert?
What is receiving very little rainfall?
The first computer was called ENIAC and it was so large that it filled an entire room. It was built in 1945 to help the military with difficult math problems. Today, we have computers that are much more powerful and fit in our pockets.
Question: What was the original purpose of the ENIAC computer?
What is to help with math problems?
The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean, reaching about seven miles down. The water pressure there is so high that it would feel like having an elephant standing on your thumb. Only a few special vehicles have ever traveled to the bottom.
Question: Using the text, describe the water pressure at the bottom of the trench
What is like an elephant standing on your thumb?
Your brain never stops working, even when you are fast asleep at night. It stays busy organizing your memories and helping your body grow and heal. Dreams are a sign that your brain is still active while you rest.
Question: What are two things your brain does while you are sleeping?
What are organizing memories and healing/growing?
Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. When he stepped onto the surface, he said it was "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." He and his team returned safely to Earth four days later.
Question: What was the name of the mission that took Neil Armstrong to the moon?
What is Apollo 11?