Morning Starters: Summer 1 - Fascinating Fruit
Did You Know?
In the Sonoran Desert, the spiny cholla cactus produces plump, greenish-yellow fruits. These fruits, though awkward to handle, are a favourite snack for animals like squirrels. After eating the fruit, squirrels scatter the seeds in their droppings, helping new cacti grow in the desert. This clever system makes sure the cactus occupies as much space as possible!
Where in the world is the Sonoran Desert? Click the 🌍
Word Challenge
The word ‘greenish-yellow’ is a hyphenated adjective that describes the colour of the cholla fruit.
Combine words from the list above to make other hyphenated adjectives that could describe a cactus or a squirrel.
Grammar Challenge
Copy and complete the sentence below with 3 verbs that end in ‘ing’.
The hungry squirrel darted around the cholla cactus: _____ , _______ , _______ .
Now write a second descriptive sentence that follows on from the one you have just written.
Number Challenge
Fact: Each cholla cactus fruit contains between 300 and 3,000 seeds.
Five cholla cactus fruits contain a total of 3,550 seeds. How many seeds could be in each fruit?
Critical Thinking
If an animal eats a fruit and spreads its seeds, who is really in control – the animal or the plant?