Literacy Week

Mrs. Pence goes for Sunrise Swims in the ocean during the summer. What night nesting animal did she see laying eggs on the beach one morning?

• A dolphin

• A Sea Turtle

• A Manatee

• A Goat

Answer explanation

Sea turtles nest on Florida's beaches in the middle of the night. Even if you didn't know this fact, did you notice that the other three options are mammals. And mammals don't lay eggs (except monotremes like the duck billed platypus)!

In the clip from the "Hidden Wild" movie, they took three Palm Beach County students on a trip through our wetlands and to the ocean, in addition to hiking and riding bikes to explore nature, what type of boat(s) did they use:

• Stand Up Paddle Board so they could quietly look down into the clear water and observe.

• Cruise Ship so they could have a party with loud music as they watched the scenery go by.

• Kayak so they could immerse themselves in the beauty around them.

• Power Speed Boat so they could quickly get to a manatee when one was spotted.

Answer explanation

Kayaks and Paddle boards are quiet and allow you to move at a speed that you can follow animals while keeping an eye on them. High speeds and loud boats disturb the wild life, make it difficult for you to see and maybe even hit them with your boat. That's no fun for anyone!

What kind of beach money did a student have an experience with? Pick only one!

• Money Tree

• Star Fish

• Two Toed Amphiuma

• Sand Dollar

Answer explanation

Yes! A sand dollar. Even if you didn't read the awesome story, you could probably guess based on context clue the name provides. A money tree would be a good second guess, but you were told to pick only one!

The students found an amphibian called "Two-Toed Amphiuma" in the dark waters of the Cypress Swamp. It eats small fish, tadpoles, insects and other small creatures it finds in the swamp. It is a:

• Primary Producer

• Primary Consumer

• Secondary Consumer

• Detritovore

Answer explanation

Using context clues, you can eliminate primary producer (makes its own food through photosynthesis), detritovore (they eat-well more like "disolve" dead things!) and primary producers (vegetarians).

On Wednesday, you may have read that Super-Enzymes can eat plastic. Enzymes are biological substances (usually proteins) that help catalyze (speed up) reactions. They are not considered living because the smallest unit of life is a/an:

• Atom

• Cell

• Molecule

• DNA Stand

Answer explanation

Atoms are the smallest unit of matter and Atoms make molecules. Molecules are used to make a strand of DNA (and all living and non living Matter!), but not until the molecules make a cell which is the smallest unit of LIFE. Only cells and things made of cells can reproduce its DNA and itself, maintain homeostasis, and use energy to grow/move! It is alive!

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-1

To help prevent our wilderness from being filled with microplastics, regarding plastic you can:

• Refuse

• Reduce

• Reuse

• Recycle

Answer explanation

All of them. Do everything to not add to the plastic problem. Refuse to take it by bringing your own bag or taking advantage of solid detergents or refilling bottles at filling stations. Sometimes it is not possible to refuse all plastic, but you can definitely Reduce what you use. If you have a plastic container, use it as many times as you can. When you can not possibly use it any more, be sure it gets recycled.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Fire is:

• Thermal Energy

• A Compound

• A Living Thing

• Mechanical Energy

Answer explanation

Fire is energy! It is not made up of matter so it is not a compound and does not contain cells as a living thing must. Thermal energy is heat energy and Mechanical Energy is that which moves. The Thermal Energy from a fire could move something and that would demonstrate the Law of Conservation of energy!

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Plastics are part of the Carbon Cycle

• True

• False

Answer explanation

While they are not a part of the natural carbon cycle, humans make plastic from fossil fuels so they are a part of the carbon cycle!

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Which of the following could you visit in Palm Beach County?

• Grassy Waters Preserve

• Washington Monument

• The National Zoo

• Lincoln Memorial

Answer explanation

All the others are in Washington, DC!

There are no tropical fish in the ocean near Florida.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Fortunately there are still many coral reefs off the coast of Florida that have many tropical fish you could see when you swim, snorkle, paddleboard, kayak etc!