Black crowberry

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

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/black-crowberry

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. How big is Black crowberry?Low-growing shrub, typically forming dense mats 10-30 cm (4-12 inches) high
2. What is the scientific name?Empetrum nigrum
3. What is the habitat?Circumboreal distribution in Arctic tundra, alpine meadows, heathlands, and coastal areas
4. How does the black crowberry survive the wind and cold?It stays close to the ground, has waxy leaves that keep water in, and spreads roots over a wide area to grab water and nutrients.
5. Why are black crowberry berries important for animals?Its berries give birds, mammals, and insects food, especially when other foods are scarce, helping them build fat for winter.

Circumboreal: Found in a wide band around the northern parts of the Earth.
Phytochemicals: Naturally occurring chemical compounds produced by plants.
Vegetative Reproduction: A form of asexual reproduction in plants, where new individuals grow from fragments of the parent plant.