The First Steps Away: teacher key

Baby Animals, grade 5 edition, written for 5th grade. A joey hops out of the pouch and hops back in. A fledgling leaves the nest. Sea turtles swim off alone. See how young animals leave home.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What does a joey do as it gets older?
   • Hops out of the pouch and back in (answer)
   • Stays in the pouch for a day
   • Eats bamboo
2. What should you do for a fledgling hopping on the ground?
   • Leave it alone (answer)
   • Carry it away
   • Feed it
3. When does a giant panda cub start to try bamboo?
   • At birth
   • At five to six months (answer)
   • At one year
4. How long may a bullfrog tadpole take to turn into a frog?
   • A day
   • A week
   • Several years (answer)
5. Why can bright lights from people be a problem on a beach?
   • They can confuse hatchlings (answer)
   • They wake the mother
   • They melt the sand
6. What does nursing mean here?
   • Feeding milk (answer)
   • Swimming far
   • Digging a nest

Words

• fledgling: young bird
• weaned: no more milk
• hatchlings: newly hatched babies
• nursing: feeding milk