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Morning Starters: Autumn 1 - River Life

Tuesday

Did You Know?

The Mississippi River is approximately 3,766 kilometres long, making it the second-longest river in the United States. This mighty river is a magnet for wildlife – especially migratory birds. Each spring, over 22,000 pelicans arrive on a river island in Minnesota to breed and feed. These gigantic snow-white waterbirds, with their enormous appetites, are capable of scooping up large amounts of fish and water in their impressive beaks.

Where in the world is the Mississippi River? Click the 🌍

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Credit: BBC Two - Earth's Great Rivers

Word Challenge

The word ‘Mississippi’ has other words hiding within it.

Example:

Mississippi – miss and sip

List the words hiding within each underlined word.

Grammar Challenge

Click text to edit

Rewrite the sentence below, adding a ‘when the action took place’ fronted adverbial.

The pelican scooped up a silver-scaled fish with its oversized beak.

Example: Beneath the golden glow of the setting sun, the pelican scooped up a silver-scaled fish with its oversized beak.

Number Challenge

Fact: A white pelican can hold up to 11 litres of river water in its beak.

How much water can the following numbers of pelicans hold in their beaks:

1) 7 pelicans

2) 14 pelicans

3) 56 pelicans

Critical Thinking

“You cannot step into the same river twice.”

Do you agree with this statement by Heraclitus, the famous Greek philosopher?