Built for Sun and Water: teacher key

Nile Crocodiles, grade 6 edition, written for 6th grade. Nile crocodiles feel the world through their skin and keep their bodies warm by choosing where to rest. Read about their nests, their young, and how their numbers have changed.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What decides whether baby crocodiles will be female or male?
   • The size of the mother
   • The temperature of the nest (answer)
   • The number of eggs
2. What are more sensitive to touch than human fingertips?
   • The sensing bumps on its skin (answer)
   • Its short legs
   • Its eyes
3. Why can a big crocodile go a long time without food?
   • It rests in the shade
   • Its tail stores fat (answer)
   • It hunts in groups
4. Where does the mother carry her newly hatched babies?
   • To the water (answer)
   • To a riverbank
   • To a new nest
5. What does the IUCN Red List say about the Nile crocodile, as of November 2026?
   • Extinct
   • Almost gone
   • Least Concern (answer)
6. What does herd mean?
   • Sleep in the sun
   • Drive together (answer)
   • Dig a nest

Words

• sensitive: quick to feel
• herd: drive together
• recover: come back
• habitat: home place