Morning Starters: Spring 2 - Deadly Creatures
Did You Know?
Africa’s most dangerous animal is the hippopotamus. Despite its seemingly docile appearance, a hippo is highly territorial and aggressive, especially when protecting young. It has powerful jaws, capable of crushing boats. Hippos are responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than any other large animal.
Credit: BBC One - Serengeti
Word Challenge
The word ‘hippopotamus’ has five syllables. It can be broken down in the following way:
hip-po-pot-a-mus.
Identify and copy another 5-syllable word that appears in the ‘Did you know?’ paragraph.
Grammar Challenge
“I was here first!” growled the angry croc, snapping its jaws in frustration.
Using inverted commas, write what the hippo said if this was the Nile crocodile’s reply.
Number Challenge
- Each hippo eats an average of 40 kilograms of grass daily.
If 6 hippos eat this amount every day for 2 weeks, what is the total mass of the grass consumed by the group?
Critical Thinking
Some might argue that humans are far more dangerous than hippos.
Do you agree with this viewpoint? Why? Why not?