Cremation

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/cremation

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 earliest evidence?Archaeological evidence suggests practice as early as 10,000 BCE in prehistoric Europe
2. What is the primary equipment?Retort, a specialized high-temperature furnace
3. How does cremation happen in a modern crematory?In a crematory, the body goes into a special furnace called a retort that gets very hot, between 1,400 and 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat burns away soft tissues and breaks the bones into small pieces, which are then ground into a fine powder called ashes.
4. Why do some families choose cremation?Families might choose cremation because it is simpler, can be less expensive, and lets them keep the ashes in an urn, scatter them, or put them in a special place.

Pyre: A large pile of combustible material, typically wood, used for burning a body in a funeral rite.
Columbarium: A structure or building containing niches or cavities for storing urns of cremated remains.
Retort: A specialized, high-temperature furnace designed for the cremation of human remains.
Cremulator: A machine used to grind cremated bone fragments into a fine, uniform powder.