Date Palm

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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/date-palm

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 name?Phoenix dactylifera
2. What is the estimated domestication?Over 6,000 years ago
3. How do date palms survive in the desert?Date palms have deep roots that reach underground water and leaves that keep water from leaving the tree. This lets them grow even when it is very hot and dry.
4. Why are dates so important to people?Dates are full of nutrients and can be stored for a long time, so they help people eat when there is not much food. They also helped trade and travel across deserts a long time ago.

Dioecious: Having male and female reproductive organs in separate individual plants.
Keystone Species: A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
Transpiration: The process where moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it changes to vapor and is released to the atmosphere.
Desertification: The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.