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How Smart Are Animals?

Science · Animals of the World · ages 9-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

In one mirror test, the scientist puts the mark on the elephant's leg, where the elephant can see it just by looking down. What is wrong with this setup?
- Nothing is wrong, any spot works
- The elephant can see the mark without the mirror, so the test shows nothing
- The mark should be much bigger and brighter
What does 'tool use' mean?
- Playing a game with another animal
- Using an object to help solve a problem
- Building a nest to sleep in
Meerkat pups practise on a live, dangerous scorpion first, before they try a stunned one.
Circle one: True False
A scientist wants to find out whether a magpie understands that the bird in the mirror is itself. Which test should she use?
- The mirror test, to see if it notices a mark on itself
- A puzzle box with food inside
- A race against another magpie
A scientist wants to check how well an animal solves problems. Which test should she pick?
- A race against another animal
- A puzzle box with food locked inside
- The mirror test
Which two animals from the lesson are known for using tools?
- Chimpanzees and crows
- Dolphins and meerkats
- Elephants and dolphins
Meerkat parents give pups a stunned scorpion to practise on before a live one. Which of these works the same way?
- A pup that eats whatever it finds on the ground
- A child who practises swimming in the shallow end before the deep end
- A bird that builds its nest high in a tree
What do the chimpanzee's stick and the crow's bent wire have in common?
- Both are objects the animals use to solve a problem
- Both are parts of the animals' own bodies
- Both are toys the animals play with
Zara says: 'One animal must be the smartest of them all.' Why is that hard to say?
- Zara is right, the dolphin is clearly the smartest
- Animals cannot really be smart at all
- Intelligence takes many forms, so each species can be smart in its own way
Which list gives four real examples of animal intelligence from the lesson?
- Crows using tools, dolphins passing the mirror test, elephants mourning, meerkats teaching pups
- Crows flying, dolphins swimming, elephants walking, meerkats standing guard
- Crows using tools, cats sleeping, dogs barking, fish blowing bubbles

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

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The elephant can see the mark without the mirror, so the test shows nothing · The mark must be visible only in the mirror. If the elephant can see it directly, touching it proves nothing about self-recognition.
Using an object to help solve a problem · Tool use means picking up or shaping an object to get a job done, like a crow using a stick to reach food.
False · It is the other way round: pups start with a stunned scorpion, which is much safer, and face a live one only later.
The mirror test, to see if it notices a mark on itself · The mirror test checks self-recognition. A puzzle box checks problem-solving, and a race only checks speed.
A puzzle box with food locked inside · A puzzle box checks problem-solving. The mirror test checks self-recognition, which is a different skill.
Chimpanzees and crows · Chimpanzees fish for termites with sticks and crows bend wire into hooks, so both are tool users.
A child who practises swimming in the shallow end before the deep end · Both start with a safe, easy version and move to the risky one later. That is how a dangerous skill gets taught step by step.
Both are objects the animals use to solve a problem · The stick and the wire are both tools: objects the animals use to get food they could not reach with their bodies alone.
Intelligence takes many forms, so each species can be smart in its own way · A crow is smart at tools and a dolphin is smart at mirrors. No single test can crown one winner.
Crows using tools, dolphins passing the mirror test, elephants mourning, meerkats teaching pups · Tool use, self-recognition, mourning, and teaching are all signs of intelligence. Flying and swimming are just ordinary things those animals do.