Helpers at the nest

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/helpers-at-the-nest

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 field?Behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology
2. What is the coined by?Alexander Skutch in 1935
3. Why do animals have helpers at the nest?Helpers stay because it can be hard for them to find a place to raise their own babies. By helping, they learn skills and increase the chances that the babies survive.
4. How do helpers help the baby birds or animals?Helpers feed the babies, guard the nest, and sometimes bring food or keep the area safe so the parents can rest and raise more young.

Inclusive fitness: The sum of an individual's direct reproductive success plus its indirect success through relatives.
Alloparental care: Care provided to offspring by individuals who are not the biological parents.
Social structure: The patterned social arrangements in society that influence or limit the choices and opportunities available.