Giants of Land and Deep: teacher key

The Biggest Animals, grade 4 edition, written for 4th grade. A tour of the heaviest, deepest and longest-lived giants, with a quick answer for grown-ups.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How long can a blue whale live?
   • About 5 years
   • About 80 to 90 years (answer)
   • About 500 years
2. What is the heaviest land animal, as of November 2026?
   • The giraffe
   • The ostrich
   • The elephant (answer)
3. How long can a sperm whale dive?
   • 45 minutes (answer)
   • 4 seconds
   • 3 days
4. Why is the General Sherman Tree not the biggest animal?
   • It is too short
   • It lives in the sea
   • It is a tree (answer)
5. What is the largest living reptile?
   • The Komodo dragon
   • The saltwater crocodile (answer)
   • The anaconda

Words

• toothed: with teeth
• colossal: huge
• sequoia: giant tree
• plankton: tiny sea life