Big Idea 15 &17

Josie likes to visit the park in her neighborhood to watch hummingbirds. Based on the beak of the hummingbird, what does it most likely eat?

• Fish

• Nuts

• Insects

• Flower Nectar

Tags

NGSS.4-LS1-1

The picture shows flowers with an unusual shape. Which beak shape would best allow a bird to reach the nectar inside the flower?

• Long and thin

• Short and thick

• Short and thin

• Long and thick

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

Bullfrogs are Florida’s largest frog. Frogs spend part of their life cycles in water and part on land. Which physical characteristic is most useful for a water environment?

• Thin skin

• Large eyes

• Webbed feet

• Long, strong legs

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Water lilies live in lakes and ponds. The lilies have very long stems. The picture shows a water lily in a pond. How do long stems help water lilies live in ponds?

•   They absorb food for the plant.

• They absorb water from the pond.

• They enable the pads and flower to reach sunlight.

•   They prevent the plant from floating away.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

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Pelicans are birds that live in many water environments. They can live in large lakes, in marshy wetlands, and along beaches near the ocean. The picture shows a pelican. What does the pouch on its bill most likely help the pelican do?

•   Catch fish

•   Store water

• Attack other animals

• Balance when it walks

Rivers are home to many kinds of birds. Which foot is most likely the adaptation of a bird that swims in water to find food?

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Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

In the fall, a ground squirrel will store the energy from food as a thick layer of fat. What is most likely the reason for this adaptation?

• It keeps the animal from being exposed to diseases in winter.

•   It keeps the animal from being eaten by predators that hunt during winter.

•   It helps the animal get exercise during winter when it is snowing.

• It helps the animal survive a cold winter when there is very little food.

Tags

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Tom sketched this picture of an epiphyte from a book about tropical forests. How is this plant adapted to the ecosystem in which it lives?

•   It has a trunk tall enough to reach above nearby trees and compete for sunlight.

•   It has long roots that reach deep enough into the dry soil to reach underground water.

• It has roots that attach to trees so that it can reach sunlight that is scarce on the forest floor.

• It has leaves that capture and digest insects, which it needs for nutrients missing from soil.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

It is estimated that fewer than 100 Florida panthers are still living. Florida now has a protected habitat for the panther. How will the  protected habitat affect the panthers?

• The panthers will probably become extinct.

• Panthers will no longer be adapted to living in Florida.

•   The Florida panther population will decrease in the near future.

• The panther population may increase now that they are being conserved in a protected habitat.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

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The state reptile of Florida is the American alligator. Reptiles rely on the environment to maintain their body temperature. Which behavioral adaptation below allows the alligator to control its body temperature?

•   Alligators mate in April and May.

• The alligator basks in the sunlight.

•   Alligators lay between 20 and 50 eggs at one time.

•   The alligator eats turtles, small mammals, and birds.