Arecaceae

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/arecaceae

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific family name?Arecaceae
2. What is the estimated number of species?Approximately 2,600 species
3. How many kinds of palms are there?There are more than 2,600 living species of palms. They look very different and live in many places, from rainforests to deserts. They spread across the world after the supercontinent Gondwana broke apart.
4. Why are palms useful to people?Palms give us food like coconuts and dates, and they provide oil used in cooking, cosmetics, and even fuel. Their strong trunks are used for building houses, bridges, and furniture. Many cultures use palm leaves to make roofs, mats, and baskets.

Monocotyledon: A major group of flowering plants characterized by having a single seed leaf (cotyledon).
Gondwana: An ancient supercontinent that existed from the Neoproterozoic to the early Jurassic period, from which South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and India separated.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance.
Dendrochronology: The scientific method of dating tree rings to the exact year they were formed.