Smart and Curious Bears: teacher key

Black Bears, grade 5 edition, written for 5th grade. Black bears are smart, curious animals that eat plants, insects and more. See how they get ready for winter and how their cubs are born.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How is the IUCN Red List's rating for the American black bear worded?
   • Endangered
   • Least Concern (answer)
   • Extinct
2. Which is bigger on average, a male or a female black bear?
   • A female
   • They are the same
   • A male (answer)
3. What do black bears do with seeds of the plants they eat?
   • They help spread the seeds (answer)
   • They keep the seeds in dens
   • They plant gardens
4. Why is spring a hard time for black bears?
   • It is too hot
   • Cubs are born
   • It is a hard time to find food (answer)
5. When does a black bear's fertilized egg start to grow?
   • In spring
   • In fall (answer)
   • In winter

Words

• curious: eager to learn
• dormant: winter rest
• grubs: young insects
• hibernate: sleep the winter