Morning Starters: Spring 2 - Sahara Desert
Did You Know?
The silver ant is one of the most amazing creatures in the Sahara Desert. These tiny insects can survive in temperatures above 50°C because their shiny bodies reflect the sun’s heat. However, even they have limits – silver ants can only stay under the glare of the the sun for about ten minutes before rushing back to the shade. Their speed and efficiency help them survive in this harsh environment.
Where in the world is the Sahara Desert? Click the 🌍
Word Challenge
Copy and correct just the words that have a spelling error:
Help: The words appear in the ‘Did You Know?’ paragraph.
Grammar Challenge
Rewrite the sentence below, adding a ‘when the action took place’ fronted adverbial.
The shimmering silver ant retreated into its sandy burrow.
Example:
As the sandstorm gathered pace, the shimmering silver ant retreated into its sandy burrow.
Number Challenge
Fact: Silver ants are one of the fastest insects on the planet. They can run at a top speed of 855 millimetres per second.
How many metres could a silver ant run in a minute?
(Assume that it was running at top speed.)
Critical Thinking
Fact: Scientists estimate that there are around 20 quadrillion ants worldwide. That’s 2.5 million ants for every living human!
What would happen if the world’ s human population was the size as the world’s ant population?