Bison Came Back to the Plains

Bison Came Back to the Plains

by Joe Brennan

Kings of the Plains

• The Great Plains lie in the middle of the United States. They run all the way from the north to the south. These broad, flat lands have few trees. The plains used to be covered with tall grass that would sway in the wind, and people said they looked like oceans of grass. Until about 150 years ago, bison were the kings of the plains. More than 30 million of these huge animals roamed there. Today, the United States is home to just 80 thousand bison. 

Open Ended

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

Multiple Choice

What are the characteristics of the Great Plains?

• trees and different plants

• water and sea life

• flat lands of grass

Multiple Choice

What has happened to the bison population in the last 150 years?

• the bison population has increased (grown)

• the bison population has decreased (shrunk)

• the bison population has been stagnant (stayed same)

Multiple Choice

Why did people say the Great Plains looked like "Oceans of grass"?

• the great plains has a lot of water

• the ocean is green like grass

• the tall grass would sway in the wind

Kings of the Plains

In the days before European settlers arrived, vast herds of bison grazed on the grass of the plains. After they finished grazing in one area, they would move to another location. Herds moved up to four hundred miles south in the winter, and then back north in the spring.

Open Ended

How does the picture help you understand what the bison do to the plains?

Multiple Choice

How many miles do bison travel in one season?

• 100 miles

• 400 miles

• 900 miles

Multiple Choice

"After they finished grazing in one area, they would move to another location." Which statement best describes grazed?

• to look at something

• to eat grass

• to sleep

Kings of the Plains

• They kept moving in search of available fresh grass. Each year, the bison walked along the same paths. Often they went in a single line. Over time, the bisons’ steps wore down the soil. Some paths were worn three feet deep!  

Multiple Choice

What happened to the land the bison grazed?

• nothing, it was availaible for other animals

• the bison wore down the soil

• it was destroyed

Multiple Choice

How do bison usually travel?

• in groups

• separated by family

• in a single line

Multiple Choice

Why did the bison have to keep moving from place to place?

• they would search for new fresh grass

• they got tired of the same place easily

• they could have stayed in the same place

Hunting Bison

Before the Plains Indians had horses, hunting was difficult. Hunters would sometimes drive a group of bison along a prepared path. The end of the path was a cliff that would be unobserved by the bison. They would fall over the edge and die. The Plains Indians could then feed their people.

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• how bison sleep

• how bison are hunted

• why bison are cool

Multiple Choice

The end of the path was a cliff that would be unobserved by the bison. Which statement best describes unobserved?

• taken over

• not watched

• eaten away

Multiple Choice

Why were the Plains Indians hunting bison?

• so that they could feed their people

• they didn't like them

• they were just cruel

Hunting Bison

Driving bison, however, was not as easy as it sounds. As people say, you can’t drive a bison anywhere it doesn’t want to go! After horses came to America, Plains Indians could hunt on horseback with bows and arrows. They killed only the few bison they needed. 

Multiple Choice

What tools did they use to hunt the bisons?

• nets

• guns and technology

• bows and arrows

Multiple Choice

What did the horses coming to America do for the hunters?

• made it harder for hunters

• helped hunt only the few they wanted

• horses were hunted with bison

Wasting Nothing

• The Plains Indians used every part of the animals they hunted. They dried the meat so that it would last for many weeks without spoiling. Bison skins made warm fur coats and blankets. Plains Indians also stretched the skins over frames made of wooden poles. These tepees provided dry, warm homes and were easy to move from one place to another. 

Dried bison dung can burn for at least 1 hour.

Tetees kept Plains Indians warm and dry.

Dried meat can last for 3 or 4 months.

Multiple Choice

What information can you get from the subheading?

• it will be about something that will not go to waste

• it will be about something the bison do for fun

• it will be about something the bison does not like

Multiple Choice

What part of the bison was not used?

• eyes

• skin

• meat

Multiple Choice

what was the bison skin used for?

• food for the people

• curtains

• fur coats and blankets

Multiple Choice

How did the hunters make the meat last weeks?

• they put it in a box

• they dried the meat

• they separated them in bags

Wasting Nothing

The bones of the bison were used to make tools. Chips of dried bison dung ( poop) were used as fuel for campfires. The Plains Indians made strong leather from bison skins. They used parts of the animals to make boats and bags. 

Multiple Choice

What happened with the bison dung?

• it rotted and was thrown away

• it was used as fuel for campfires

• it made it smell

Multiple Choice

Chips of dried bison dung were used as fuel for campfires." Which statement best describes dung?

• spit

• poop

• gas

What Happened to the Bison?

• When settlers from Europe arrived in the Great Plains, the days of the huge herds were numbered. The settlers killed bison for sport, and they killed them to clear the path for railways. By the 1880s, fewer than one thousand bison were left in all of North America. Some men and women saved a group of bison that were left. They brought them to a protected area. More bison were raised from that group. Slowly, the number of bison grew. 

Multiple Choice

What information can we get from the heading?

• the paragraph might be about where the bison live and stay

• the paragraph might be about something happening to the bison

• the paragraph might be about how the bison make friends

Multiple Choice

Why were settlers killing bison?

• to clear railroad pathways, for sport

• the bison were dangerous animals

• bison had been killing the humans

Multiple Choice

What kept the bison from going extinct?

• their predators died

• hunting was banned

• people saved a few in a protected area

Multiple Choice

What is the history of the bison population?

• the population has been growing over time

• the population was dropping from hunting

• the bison population is now extinct

What Happened to the Bison?

• The government passed laws protecting bison. National parks were created where bison would be cared for and protected. With our help, bison will always have an open place to eat grass and roam free.

Multiple Choice

What change does the national park bring for bison?

• a completely different habitat

• danger of humans

• a forever place to roam free

Multiple Choice

Other than national parks, what did people do to help bison?

• ate bison as a main meal

• passed laws to protect bison

• hunted bison a certain day

Multiple Choice

What were the national parks used for?

• to protect and care for the bison

• to play and run

• to just look at like museums

Bison Facts

• Most bison are dark brown or black. Every once in a while, a white bison is born. Plains Indians thought white bison were very special. They told many stories of the rare white beasts. 

• Bison can be over six feet tall and ten to twelve feet long. Male bison are called bulls. They are usually bigger than female bison.

Multiple Choice

What information does the subheading give us?

• we will learn about bison myths

• we will learn facts about bison

• we will learn about bison families

Multiple Choice

What are male bison called?

• bull

• buffalo

• bison

Multiple Choice

What color of bison was thought to be special?

• black

• grey

• white

• brown

Bison Facts

• Bison can’t see very well. However, they have a keen sense of smell and hearing. They are good at detecting danger from far away. If they hear or smell a ferocious predator, such as a bear, they can get out of harm’s way. 

Multiple Choice

Which of the five senses (smell, touch, hear, taste, see) is the weakest for the bison?

• see

• hear

• smell

Multiple Choice

How does a bison's good sense of smell and hearing help them?

• they can hear music and enjoy it

• they detect danger and can run

• they can smell their food

Multiple Select

Which 2 of the five sense is the bison's strongest?

• smell

• touch

• see

• hearing

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose of the text?

• inform

• persuade

• entertain