Eyes in the Dark: teacher key

Giant Squid, grade 10 edition, written for 10th grade. The giant squid has some of the biggest eyes on Earth. Learn why, how scientists measured them, and what they tell us about the deep sea.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. About how wide can a giant squid's eye reach?
   • 27 meters
   • 27 centimeters (answer)
   • 2.7 centimeters
2. About how far away could a giant squid notice a sperm whale's glow, by estimate?
   • 12 meters
   • 1,200 meters
   • 120 meters (answer)
3. What do squid-beak measurements reflect?
   • What and where the animals ate (answer)
   • How old the squid was
   • How fast it swam
4. What is the average temperature below 1,000 meters?
   • 40 degrees Celsius
   • 4 degrees Celsius (answer)
   • 14 degrees Celsius
5. Why might red lighting help a filming team?
   • Red heats the water
   • Red attracts whales
   • Squid see best in blue light, so red is less likely to disturb them (answer)

Words

• bioluminescence: living light
• specimens: kept examples
• pressure: pushing force
• twilight: dim zone