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Nature Photography
A Fun Activity Guide (With Knowledge Expanding Crosswords and Word Searches)
By Michael Fleming Trafford Publishing
Copyright © 2016 Michael Fleming
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4907-7895-2
CHAPTER 1
Ferns:
Fern Facts:
There are nearly 12,000 types of ferns Ferns have no flowers or seeds fossil fuels such as coal are composed of decomposed ferns when new ferns first grow out of the ground, the leaves are rolled up and look like fiddle heads
Questions:
since ferns have no seeds, how do they reproduce how tall can some ferns grow what are fern leaves called What continent do ferns not grow on
CHAPTER 2
Straw:
Straw Facts:
early pioneers and settlers used bales of straw to build homes, animal bedding, mattresses straw = dried stems of wheat (and also other cereal plants like oats and rye) bales of straw can be used to build a durable house
Questions:
straw is a byproduct of what what is the difference between straw and hay
CHAPTER 3
Roses:
there are dozens of different types symbol of love have been used for confetti, medicines, perfumes rose bushes adorn homes
Questions:
what is a tea rose is a black rose really black what is a rose thorn, really how many states have the rose as their official flower who was the first breeder of roses in the U.S.
CHAPTER 4
Wheat:
wheat grain has been used for many thousands of years prividing humans with food early man ground wheat using rocks farming improved as did the quality of the wheat and harvest size wheat uses: bread, cereals, beverages, livestock feed China = world's largest wheat producer. ... USA = fourth some sun screens, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, medicines use ingredients derived from wheat wheat is the largest crop produced in U.S. wheat is used in wood, paper, stamp adhesive dry wheat stalks = straw
Questions:
what are four products (not named above) that use wheat type of wheat used for pasta how many states are wheat grown in two major groups of wheat
CHAPTER 5
Lichens:
lichens can be used in making soap and perfumes lichens absorb pollutants in the atmosphere lichens come in many beautiful colors lichens can thrive on tree bark as well as rocks
Questions:
why are lichens unlikely to be found in cities what two organisms actually make up a lichen what animals like to eat lichens
CHAPTER 6
Tree Leaves
tree leaves turn colorful in the fall leaves make food from sunlight and carbon dioxide the outer edge of a leaf helps in identifying the name of the tree leaves have specialized veins that transport material in and out of the leaf what are some colors of fall leaves and what makes them become colorful what is the name of the process by which a leaf makes food for the tree some species of what tree make the largest leaves name of the type of trees that lose leaves in the fall
CHAPTER 7
Mushrooms
some mushrooms (BUT NOT ALL) are edible and nutritious toadstool is another name for a mushroom mushrooms are a type of fungus mushrooms come in different colors some mushrooms actually glow in the dark
Questions:
what are mushroom fairly rings what parts of a mushroom make up the cap, gills, and stalk (stem) where are some places you might find mushrooms
CHAPTER 8
Tree Bark
different kinds of trees have distinctive looking barks bark is the outer layer of the tree trunk bark protects the tree against such things as weather and insects a giant redwood tree can have bark 3 feet thick
Questions:
what are some uses for tree bark how many different types of bark do you see in a walk in the park or wooded area what are some animals that eat bark
CHAPTER 9
Clouds
clouds are made of tiny droplets of water there are many different types of clouds that can be identified in the sky fog is a cloud near the earth's surface reflected sunlight make clouds appear white
Questions:
what makes clouds appear dark or almost black what are five types of clouds compare some cloud types to kinds of weather how do clouds move
CHAPTER 10
Birds
there are over 9000 species of birds worldwide the bones of birds are hollow nearly half of a bird's head is its eyes the goose is considered the first bird domesticated
Questions:
what bird can fly backwards what is a homing pigeon what is the largest bird in the world how do hollow bones help birds
CHAPTER 11
Trees
in a single day, some trees can use almost 100 gallons of water from the soil the age of a tree can be determined by counting the annual rings trees around a dwelling can help in keeping it cool trees are very valuable in absorbing carbon dioxide
Questions:
what is the tallest tree in the country what is the oldest living tree what trees are a source of sap used in making pancake syrup what important gas do trees produce
CHAPTER 12
Rock Formations
minerals comprise rocks and stones rock formations in nature are the result of natural processes the study of rocks is called petrology
Questions:
what are the three basic types of rocks what is a butte what is a gorge name three famous rock formations
CHAPTER 13
Landscapes
landscaping can improve the quality of air a landscape can be beautiful to look at and very relaxing New York City's Central Park is an excellent example of a landscape a yard around a home is a type of landscape national parks are landscapes
Questions:
what country is a leader in landscape architects what country has the most national parks how many national parks are there in the United States what is considered the most viewed landscape in the world
CHAPTER 14
Animal Pets:
dogs sweat from pads on the bottom of their feet a turtles' shell is comprised of 60 bones cats meow at humans and not other cats dogs and cats can donate blood to other dogs and cats respectively
Questions:
about how high can a cat jump how do gerbils recognize each other what colors can a dog see why do sea ottors hold hands while sleeping
CHAPTER 15
Farm Animals:
sheep and goats have no teeth on the upper jaw chickens can fly high enough to roost in a tree a mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse many farm animals can make wonderful pets
Questions:
do cows have memory what is tidbitting how fast can a pig run sheep provide us with what raw materials
CHAPTER 16
Favorite Nature Scenes:
nature photography can be a wonderful hobby scenes can range from meadows to forests to tree silhouettes 29% of the Earth's surface is land nature is defined as the physical world and all it contains
Questions:
what percent of land is desert how much land in the United States is used for agriculture what is an arborist
CHAPTER 17
Butterflies:
butterflies attach their eggs to plant leaves butterflies taste with their feet butterflies have their skeleton on the outside of their bodies butterfly wings move in a figure eight pattern
Questions:
how many wings do butterflies have what do butterflies feed on what is the life span of a butterfly what colors can butterflies see
CHAPTER 18
Insects
there are about 3000 kinds of insects honey bee's eyes have facets a month is approximately the life span of a house fly insects make up approximately 80% of animals on earth
Questions:
what is the different between a bug and an insect do all insects bite what is the largest insect what do insects eat
CHAPTER 19
Garden Vegetables
indians first cultivated white potatoes the tomato is native to America many types of vegetables grow well in pots and planters watermelon is a vegetable
Questions:
name three of the largest vegetables what is the most popular vegetable grown worldwide name a root vegetable what is organic farming
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Nature Photography by Michael Fleming. Copyright © 2016 Michael Fleming. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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