VOCABULARY LESSON 11
PLANTS AND ANIMALS
WORD LIST
arboretum aviarybotanychameleoncultivate
habitat nurturetalonterrariumzoology
The words in this lesson describe how many creatures, plants, and humans interact with each other.
- arboretum – a park for viewing trees
- Many rare trees and shrubs can be found at an arboretum.
- aviary – a large birdcage or building for holding birds
- The aviary at the zoo houses many exotic birds.
- botany – the study of plants
- The botany class studied the effects of flowering plants on the environment.
- chameleon – a lizard that changes color
- The chameleon blended in with the leaf.
- cultivate – to grow crops
- In the spring, many farmers cultivate fruits and vegetables.
- habitat – a living thing’s environment
- The habitat of panda bears must be protected;otherwise, they may become extinct.
- nurture – to take care of
- Most wild animals nurture their young for many months before releasing them on their own.
- talon – a bird of prey’s claw
- Falconers wear heavy gloves to protect themselves from the birds’ sharp talons.
- terrarium – a clear container with plants and small animals.
- I have a terrarium in my house with many small plants and a miniature turtle.
10. zoology – the study of animals
- A zoologist might study a particular breed of animal.
COMPLETE THE SENTENCE
Write the letter for the word that best completes each sentence.
___1. I went to a(n)_____to do a report on Japanese Maple trees .
a. aviaryb. zoologyc. habitatd. arboretum
___2. The farmer taught his son how to_____the grapes in order to make them into wine.
a. habitatb. cultivatec. aviated. nurture
___3. Joel placed his_____near the window where it would get plenty of sun.
a. terrariumb. aviaryc. arboretumd. talon
___4. Bobby’s love of animals helped him decide to go to college to become a_____.
a. talonb. zoologistc. botanistd. habitat
___5. The sharp_____of the hawk enabled him to catch his prey effortlessly.
a. botanyb. chameleonc. talonsd. terrarium
___6. Most mammals_____their young.
a. cultivateb. habitatc. arboretumd. nurture
___7. The _____student went to the dessert to see what types of vegetation grew there.
a. nurturingb. zoologyc. botanyd. aviary
___8. Environmental groups help to preserve the _____of endangered animals.
a. aviaryb. habitatc. talonsd. terrariums
___9. To protect themselves from ememies,_____change colors.
a. chameleonsb. botanistsc. talonsd. zoologists
___10. The _____was full of noisy birds.
a. terrariumb. arboretumc. habitatd. aviary
WRITING RESPONSE
In one good paragraph (7-9 sentences) summarize information about Pennsylvania’s different species of owls, using three underlined vocabulary words. Don’t forget to write in cursive!
HINT: The words that are italicized are clues to certain vocabulary words.
WRITING RESPONSE – NONFICTION TEXT
LET’S TALK ABOUT BIRDS:OWLS
By The National Aviary Education Team
It’s midnight on the last day of October. You are walking, alone, down a dark, lonely road. The light of a full moon casts an eerie glow around heavy cloud cover, which is getting thicker by the moment. A gust of wind makes you shudder. You tighten your jacket and quicken your step. As you try not to let your imagination get the best of you, the clouds cover the moon, and a cold, heavy rain begins. You spy a long abandoned barn that looks like a safe place to wait out the storm.
The barn door CREAKS…as it opens. Your heart races. You step through the entrance and freeze. A blood-curdling scream from inside the barn pierces the night. You look up to see a pale, ghostly figure swooping toward you. The figure screams. You scream back, and duck. The figure flies silently overhead. You uncover your eyes to spy a ray of moonlight illuminating the flying figure…which immediately illuminates your mind. You sink to the floor, and exhale in relief. The figure wasn’t a ghost, but an owl…a barn owl.
Pennsylvania is hometo eight different species of owl, ranging in size from 7-8 inches long to the Great horned owl which is 18-24 inches in length.
Pennsylvania’s owls are armed with sharp claws , superb camouflage, a keen sense of hearing, and incredible night vision. Soft, comb-like feathers at the edges of their wings make their flight virtually soundproof. Silent flight combined with their other adaptions make owls extremely successful nighttime hunters. If you visit the zoo, different species can be found t in a building that houses birds.
In one good paragraph (7-9 sentences) summarize information about Pennsylvania’s different species of owls, using threeunderlined vocabulary words. Don’t forget to write in cursive!
HINT: The words that are italicized are clues to certain vocabulary words.
WRITE THE DERIVATIVE
Complete the sentence by writing the correct form of the word shown in parentheses. You may not need to change the form that is given.
______1. _____often blend in with the environment around them. (chameleon)
______2. We found a baby robin that fell out of its nest and we_____it back to health. (nurture)
______3. The _____studied the eagle who had injured its talon. (zoology)
______4. The _____housed not only some exotic plants but also some rare miniature animals. (terrarium)
______5. Some_____house birds that are in danger of becoming extinct. (aviary)
FIND THE EXAMPLE
Choose the answer that best describes the situation.
___1. An animal that has talons
a. cougarb. owlc. snake
___2. Something you might do at an arboretum
a. climb a mountainb. sit under the shade of a treec. study birds
___3. The most likely habitat of an ape
a. desertb. junglec. ocean
___4. Female cats nurture their kittens by
a. leaving them aloneb. feeding them cerealc. cleaning them
___5. Something an English teacher might cultivate
a. green beansb. a new hairstylec.a love of poetry