The Forest's Smallest Bear: teacher key

Black Bears, grade 4 edition, written for 4th grade. The black bear is the smallest bear in North America. Find out what it eats through the seasons, how it spends the winter, and how cubs grow up.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Which bear is the smallest in North America?
   • The polar bear
   • The black bear (answer)
   • The grizzly bear
2. What do black bears eat in spring?
   • Nuts
   • Berries
   • Grasses and other green plants (answer)
3. How long may a black bear hibernate?
   • Five to seven months (answer)
   • One week
   • Two years
4. Why do black bears eat a lot in fall?
   • To move to Mexico
   • To feed salmon
   • To build up fat for the winter (answer)
5. Who feeds newborn cubs in the den?
   • A salmon
   • Their mother (answer)
   • Nobody

Words

• hibernate: sleep the winter
• den: bear home
• salmon: a fish
• cinnamon: reddish brown