Giant

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/giant

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 (blue whale)?Balaenoptera musculus
2. What is the habitat (blue whale)?Global oceans, found in all major oceans from polar to tropical waters
3. What makes a giant animal so big?Giant animals grow huge because they have plenty of food, need to avoid predators, and can keep warm in cold places.
4. Why is the blue whale the biggest animal on Earth?Blue whales are huge because they eat a lot of krill in oceans where food is plentiful, and their big bodies help keep them warm in cold water.

Megafauna: Extremely large animals, typically referring to mammals, birds, and reptiles of considerable size.
Thermoregulation: The process by which animals maintain their body temperature within a certain range.
Indicator Species: A species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects the condition of an ecosystem.