The Cord That Fed You: teacher key

Belly Buttons, grade 3 edition, written for 3rd grade. Before you were born, a long cord brought you food and air. Find out what it was made of and what it left behind.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. About how long was the cord at full term?
   • 22 inches (answer)
   • 2 inches
   • 100 inches
2. How does a baby get food and air before birth?
   • Through the cord (answer)
   • Through its mouth
   • From a spoon
3. Why is the cord not needed after birth?
   • The baby breathes air with its lungs (answer)
   • The baby is too big
   • The baby is asleep
4. What color is the stump at first?
   • Bright red
   • Bluish white or yellowish green (answer)
   • Purple
5. Why does a platypus have no belly button?
   • It is too small
   • Its fur is thick
   • It lays eggs, so it has no cord (answer)
6. What does the word stump mean in the book?
   • The short piece of cord left on a baby (answer)
   • A tree trunk
   • A kind of toy

Words

• stump: bit of cord
• navel: belly button
• platypuses: egg-laying animals
• placenta: cord's other end