Circles of Friends: teacher key

Friendship, grade 6 edition, written for 6th grade. People have circles of friends, and time, talk and brains play a part. Read what scientists found in children, adults and animals.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many friends are in the closest circle?
   • About 5 (answer)
   • About 50
   • About 150
2. What happens as chimpanzees get older, as of May 2026?
   • They stop spending time with others
   • They become more selective about partners (answer)
   • They make more friends
3. How many hours did a close friend take in one study of adults?
   • About 50
   • About 5
   • More than 200 (answer)
4. What does selective mean on the chimpanzee page?
   • Choosy (answer)
   • Loud
   • Fast
5. When were baby baboons more likely to survive?
   • When they were bigger
   • When their mothers had close friends (answer)
   • When they lived alone

Words

• acquaintance: someone you know
• confide: share private thoughts
• network: web of people
• selective: choosy