Counting the Bears: teacher key

Black Bears, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. How many black bears are there? Follow the numbers across North America, then see how a bear's senses, food and winter sleep shape its year.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. As of November 2026, how many black bears do biologists summarizing regional estimates put in North America?
   • About 9,500
   • 850,000 to 950,000 (answer)
   • About 85 million
2. What does Animal Diversity Web give as the weight of female black bears?
   • Over 600 kilograms
   • Between 1 and 2 kilograms
   • Between 39 and 236 kilograms (answer)
3. What does the National Park Service compare the black bear's sense of smell to?
   • A bloodhound's (answer)
   • A cat's
   • A great ape's
4. What happens to black bear weight in fall in the Great Smoky Mountains?
   • It stays the same
   • It halves
   • It can nearly double (answer)
5. Why might black bears eat a lot of fruits and nuts in fall?
   • To prepare for school
   • To build up fat for the winter (answer)
   • To dig a den

Words

• hibernate: sleep the winter
• dormant: winter rest
• fertilized: ready to grow
• predators: animal hunters