Morning Starters: Autumn 1 - River Life
Did You Know?
The Mississippi River is approximately 3,766 kilometres long, making it the second-longest river in the United States. This mighty river is a magnet for wildlife – especially migratory birds. Each spring, over 22,000 pelicans arrive on a river island to breed and feed. These gigantic snow-white waterbirds, with their enormous appetites, are capable of scooping up large amounts of fish and water in their impressive beaks.
Word Challenge
Notice how the word ‘Mississippi’ has other words hiding within it.
Example:
Mississippi – sip
Mississippi – miss
Write down any words that are hiding within the underlined ‘Did you know?’ words.
Grammar Challenge
Copy the sentence below, adding a ‘when the action took place’ fronted adverbial.
The pelican scooped up a silver-scaled fish with its oversized beak.
Example: Beneath the golden glow of the setting sun, the pelican scooped up a silver-scaled fish with its oversized beak.
Number Challenge
- A white pelican can hold up to 11 litres of river water in its beak.
Calculate the maximum amount of water that the following number of pelicans could hold in their beaks:
1) 7 pelicans
2) 14 pelicans
3) 56 pelicans
Critical Thinking
“You cannot step into the same river twice.”
Do you agree with this statement by Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher?