How Animals Talk Without Words

Science · Animals of the World · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Ants leave a scent trail to warn other ants about danger.
Circle one: True False
How do whales send messages across the ocean?
- With scent trails
- With deep calls
- With light flashes
A dog wags its tail. What message is it sending?
- It is sleepy
- It is feeling happy
- It is angry
What do fireflies use to send messages in the dark?
- Loud howls
- Waggle dances
- Light flashes
Which animal does a waggle dance to show others where the flowers are?
- Bee
- Ant
- Wolf
A bee finds flowers on the far side of the pond. Back at the hive she does the waggle dance. What can the other bees do after watching her?
- Taste the honey she already made
- Fly the right way to the far-off flowers
- Learn what color the flowers are
Look at the chart. About how many miles can a wolf's howl travel? Type the number.
Answer: ______________
A bee's waggle dance tells the other bees what color the flowers are.
Circle one: True False
How can sending the right message help an animal stay alive?
- A warning can help it escape danger in time
- Messages make an animal grow bigger
- Messages help an animal sleep longer
Zara spots ants marching in a neat line toward a dropped crumb. She says, 'The first ant must have left a scent trail.' Is Zara using the lesson's idea correctly?
- No, the ants are following a sound
- Yes, ants follow scent trails to food
- No, ants find food only by luck

Answer key

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

False · A scent trail leads other ants to food. It is not a danger warning.
With deep calls · Whales make deep calls that travel across whole oceans to reach whales far away.
It is feeling happy · A wagging tail is a happy message. Bared teeth are the stay away message.
Light flashes · Fireflies flash a pattern of light to find a mate at night.
Bee · A bee's waggle dance points out the direction and distance to food.
Fly the right way to the far-off flowers · The waggle dance shows which way to fly and how far the flowers are, so the other bees can fly straight to them.
6 · The wolf's bar reaches 6 on the chart, so a howl can travel about 6 miles.
False · The dance tells which way to fly and how far the flowers are. It does not tell the color.
A warning can help it escape danger in time · A warning message gives animals time to hide or run, which can save their lives.
Yes, ants follow scent trails to food · A neat line of ants heading straight to food is exactly what a scent trail does.