Fast Facts book activities

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For!more!information!visit!www.kingfisherbooks.com!!

Fast%Facts%Amazing%Universe%

!What!are!stars!made!of?!Why!do!they!die?!Has!anyone!or!anything!ever!lived!on!Mars?!What!are!sunspots?!How!big!is!the!International!Space!Station?!Take!a!journey!through!the!amazing!Universe!and!into!the!unknown!beyond.!!Use!the!clues!to!finish!these!sentences!about!important!facts!from!Amazing(Universe.!!

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1. The!Universe!began!13.5!billion!years!ago!in!an!immense!burst!of!energy!called!the!_______________________.!

2. Materials!made!of!antiparticles!that!cancel!out!particles!is!called!__________________________.!

3. Stars!are!grouped!into!___________________________!that!may!contain!millions,!billions,!or!even!trillions!of!stars.!

4. The!name!of!our!galaxy!is!the!_________________________________.!

5. Eight!planets!orbit!our!_____________.!

6. Without!the!Sun’s!_______________!and!________________!,!life!on!Earth!would!not!be!possible.!

7. ________________________!is!the!smallest!planet!and!the!closest!to!the!Sun.!

8. A!bowlRshaped!area!made!by!a!fallen!meteorite!is!called!a!__________________.!

9. The!northern!and!southern!half!of!Earth!is!divided!in!two!by!the!line!of!the!_________________________.!

10. _____________________,!the!Red!Planet,!is!the!planet!most!like!Earth.!

11. _____________________!is!the!giant!planet!of!our!Solar!System.!

12. The!two!outermost!planets!of!our!Solar!System!are!Uranus!and!____________________.!

13. The!hottest!stars!are!called!____________________________________.!

14. Today!space!stations!are!used!for!_____________________,!but!in!the!far!future!they!may!be!used!as!hotels.!

15. ___________________________________!means!between!the!stars.!

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For!more!information!visit!www.kingfisherbooks.com!

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Fast%Facts%Awesome%Knights%

%Who!were!the!men!of!mail,!and!where!did!they!build!their!homes?!What!

is!a!cavalry?!How!were!the!first!castles!built?!Why!did!knights!joust?!

Travel!back!in!time!to!an!age!of!battles!and!bloodshed,!crusades!and!

chivalry,!battles!and!sieges.!

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Read!the!following!facts!and!stats!from!Awesome'Knights.!Write!“TRUE”!in!front!of!all!the!statements!that!are!true,!and!write!“FALSE”!in!front!of!

all!of!the!statements!that!are!false.!

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1. _________Castles!were!only!used!as!military!bases!for!the!knights.!!2. _________A!knight’s!coat!of!arms!represented!the!knight’s!noble!family!name.!!3. _________Windsor!Castle!is!the!oldest!and!largest!inhabited!castle!in!the!world.!!4. _________The!stirrup!enabled!the!knight!to!ride!steady!and!swing!a!sword!in!

battle.!!

5. _________Infantry!soldiers!attack!on!horseback.!!6. _________Chain!mail!is!armor!that!is!made!from!leather!rings!that!are!linked!

together.!!

7. _________The!Crusades!were!military!expeditions!by!medieval!Christians!to!try!and!capture!the!Holy!Land!from!the!Muslims.!!

8. _________A!moat!was!a!bridge!that!could!be!raised!to!stop!enemies!from!entering!the!castle.!!

9. _________A!steward!was!the!person!in!charge!of!managing!the!castle.!!10. _________The!center!of!activity!in!many!castles!was!the!great!hall.!!11. _________King!Arthur!was!the!famous!knight!that!ruled!Winchester!Castle!in!

England.!!

12. _________The!lord!of!the!castle!earned!money!by!taxing!the!people!working!in!the!town.!!

13. _________During!a!war,!it!was!legal!and!common!for!a!knight!to!steel!from!conquered!towns.!

14. _________After!the!year!1220,!the!knights!began!to!wear!suits!of!solid!steel!armor!along!with!their!horses.!!

15. _________To!win!control!of!a!region,!an!army!had!to!capture!its!castles.!!16. _________Jousting!was!a!festival!held!on!the!castle!grounds!where!people!could!sell!

food!and!goods.!!!

17. _________The!knight’s!code!of!courage,!honor,!respect,!generosity!and!courtesy!was!called!chivalry.!!

18. _________Before!becoming!a!knight,!a!boy!would!serve!as!a!page!then!a!squire.!!19. _________If!captured,!a!knight!was!sometimes!held!prisoner!until!a!crusade!was!

given!for!his!release.!!

20. ________The!Battle!of!Poitiers!ended!with!an!English!victory!and!the!capture!of!the!French!King.!

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Fast%Facts%Extreme%Hunters%

%How!many!teeth!does!a!crocodile!have?!Which!is!the!world's!most!poisonous!animal?!How!do!orcas!hunt?!Come!face!to!face!with!the!world's!top!predators!on!this!unforgettable!tour!of!nature's!deadliest!and!scariest!hunters.!!Use!the!clues!from!Extreme'Hunters!to!help!you!solve!the!crossword!puzzle.!!

ACROSS!!5.!AKA!baby!sharks! !!!8.!The!fastest!animal!on!land! !!10.!A!spider!or!scorpion! !!12.!The!group!of!animals!that!give!birth!to!live!young!that!feed!on!their!mother’s!milk! !!14.!A!group!of!lions! !!16.!The!largest!land!hunters! !!!17.!A!large!group!of!ants!that!live!together!18.!The!scissorPlike!jaws!of!an!ant!!!!19.!Poisonous!liquid!produced!by!snakes! !!!20.!Giants!of!the!sea!or!killer!whales!!!!! !!!! !

DOWN!!1.!They!hunt!at!night!in!small!group! !!!2.!Small!fish!that!live!in!the!rivers!of!South!America!!!!3.!The!only!big!cats!that!live!in!groups! !!!4.!A!group!of!fish! !!!6.!When!something!dies!because!of!a!lack!of!air!or!oxygen! !!!7.!The!ability!to!run!or!exercise!for!long!periods! !!!9.!The!top!male!&!female!wolves!of!a!pack!!!!11.!Something!on!the!top!or!back!of!an!animal’s!body! !!!13.!An!animal!that!feeds!on!the!bodies!of!dead!animals! !!!15.!The!freezing!region!that!surrounds!the!North!Pole!

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!!!!!Fast!Facts!Fantastic!Mammals!

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How!are!mammals!different!from!other!animals?!Which!is!the!smallest!

mammal?!Which!are!the!only!mammals!with!wings?!How!do!conservation!

projects!help!to!protect!mammals!under!threat?!Enter!the!wonderful!world!

of!mammals.!Find!out!how!they!became!the!most!successful!group!of!

animals!on!land,!in!the!ocean,!and!in!the!air.!Get!your!teeth!into!some!biteA

sized!mammal!facts!!

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Read!the!following!facts!and!stats!from!Fantastic(Mammals.!Write!“TRUE”!in!front!of!all!the!statements!that!are!true,!and!write!“FALSE”!in!front!of!all!of!the!statements!that!are!false.!

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1. _________!Mammals!once!roamed!the!earth!with!the!dinosaurs.!2. _________!All!mammals!give!birth!in!the!same!manner.!3. _________!Quills!are!large!hairs!with!sharp!points!that!an!animal!uses!to!defend!

itself.!

4. __________A!camel!stores!water!in!its!humps.!5. _________Polar!Bears!have!little!bumps!on!the!pads!of!their!paws!for!good!gripe!on!

ice.!

6. !_________!Meerkats!leave!scent!signals!around!their!burrows!by!spitting.!7. _________!A!sentry!can!stand!on!its!tail!for!up!to!an!hour.!8. _________!Elephants!send!messages!to!one!another!through!the!ground.!9. !_________!Elephants!are!the!biggest!land!animals.!10. _________!Elephants!do!not!have!a!sense!of!smell.!11. _________!A!meatAeating!mammal!with!flippers!is!called!a!pinniped.!12. _________!Most!mammals!can!swim,!even!though!they!normally!live!on!dry!land.!13. _________Whales!belong!to!a!single!family!of!mammals!called!cetaceans.!14. !_________!All!cetaceans!have!sharp!teeth.!15. !_________Male!humpback!whales!sing!songs!that!other!whales!can!hear!hundreds!

of!miles!away.!

16. !_________!There!is!more!than!1,000!types!of!primates.!17. _________!Orangutans!spend!most!of!their!lives!in!trees.!18. _________!Apes!are!a!group!of!tailless!primates.!19. _________!Orangutans!use!giant!leaves!as!umbrellas.!20. _________!An!omnivore!is!an!animal!that!eats!all!kinds!of!food.!21. _________!Tigers,!rhinos,!and!giant!pandas!are!at!risk!of!extinction.!

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Fast%Facts%Monster%Dinosaurs%

How!were!fossils!formed?!What!did!dinosaurs!look!like?!Which!was!the!smallest!dinosaur?!Step!back!in!time!and!unearth!some!of!the!most!awesome!dinosaur!specimens!yet!discovered.!!Use!the!clues!to!finish!these!sentences!about!important!facts!from!Monster(Dinosaurs.!!

!!!1. Early!on!in!their!history,!dinosaurs!split!into!these!two!

groupings:______________________and!__________________________.!!

2. Preserved!remains!of!things!left!behind!by!animals!are!called______________________.!

3. An!animal!that!feeds!on!the!remains!of!dead!creatures!is!a__________________________.!

4. The!word!dinosaur!means!__________________________.!!

5. __________________________is!the!large!shield!found!on!the!back!of!the!head!of!a!

Triceratops.!

6. One!of!the!oldest!dinosaurs!ever!discovered!is!called!______________________.!!

7. The!only!known!dinosaur!to!have!eaten!fish!is!the__________________________.!!

8. Scientists!classify!__________________________as!dinosaurs!because!they!are!direct!

descendants!of!__________________________.!

9. ______________________is!one!of!the!biggest!predators!that!has!ever!walked!the!earth.!!

10. Tyrannosaurus!Rex!had!a!very!good!sense!of!__________________________which!helped!it!

track!down!its!food.!

11. All!birdShipped!dinosaurs!were!__________________________Seaters.!!

12. Over__________________________years!ago!dinosaurs!vanished!from!earth.!

13. The!tough,!hard!skin!or!spikes!on!a!dinosaur!is!called!its__________________________.!!

14. The!name!Ankylosaurus!means__________________________.!!

15. Instead!of!chewing,!many!dinosaurs!swallowed__________________________to!help!them!grind!up!food!inside!their!stomach.!!

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Fast%Facts%Mysterious%Rain%Forests%%

%Which!is!the!biggest!snake?!How!many!species!of!rainforest!tree!are!there?!Which!creatures!live!high!up!in!the!canopy?!Journey!from!the!forest!floor!right!up!into!the!emergent!layers!of!the!rainforests—home!to!the!most!diverse!and!exciting!range!of!wildlife!on!the!planet.!!!Use!the!clues!to!finish!these!sentences!about!important!facts!from!Mysterious*Rain*Forests.!!

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1.!The!three!layers!of!the!rain!forest!are!the!____________________,!____________________,!and!____________________.!2.!Most!rain!forests!lie!between!the!tropic!of!____________________and!the!tropic!of!____________________.!3.!The!forest!floor!provides!____________________and!____________________for!a!huge!number!of!insects.!4.!A!number!of!creatures!of!the!same!species!that!live!and!work!together!are!called!a!____________________.!5.!The!____________________is!the!roof!of!the!rain!forest.!6.!The!rain!forest!canopy!is!a!____________________for!many!animals!as!they!travel!along!the!branches.!7.!The!clouded!leopard!is!one!of!the!top!predators!in!the!rain!forest.!They!are!called!this!because!they!have!no!natural!____________________.!8.!____________________—which!can!weigh!as!much!as!half!a!ton,!are!large!water!mammals!that!eat!mostly!plants!in!shallow!water.!9.!____________________is!a!staple!food!of!the!rain!forest!people!of!South!America!and!Africa.!10.!The!cutting!down!and!destroying!of!trees!and!other!plants!in!the!forest!is!called!____________________.!!

!List!5!animals,!insects,!or!mammals!that!live!on!each!layer!of!the!rain!forest.!Then!on!another!sheet!of!paper,!draw!a!picture,!each!one!in!its!habitat!and!list!what!they!eat.!

!!Canopy!____________________!____________________!____________________!____________________!____________________!!

Understory!!____________________!____________________!____________________!____________________!____________________!

!Forest!Floor!____________________!____________________!____________________!____________________!____________________!

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%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%Fast%Facts%Answer%Key%

%Amazing%Universe%!

1. THE!BIG!BANG!

2. ANTIMATTER!

3. GALAXIES!

4. THE!MILKY!WAY!

5. SUN!

6. LIGHT,!HEAT!

7. MERCURY!

8. CRATER!

9. EQUATOR!

10. MARS!

11. JUPITER!

12. NEPTUNE!

13. BLUE!GIANTS!

14. RESEARCH!

15. INTERSTELLAR!

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For!more!information!visit!www.kingfisherbooks.com!!!

Fast%Facts%Answer%Key%

%Awesome%Knights%%

1. FALSE!2. TRUE!3. TRUE!4. TRUE!5. FALSE!6. FALSE!7. TRUE!8. FALSE!9. TRUE!10. TRUE!11. FALSE!12. TRUE!13. !TRUE!14. TRUE!15. TRUE!16. FALSE!17. TRUE!18. TRUE!19. FLASE!20. TRUE!

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%Deadly%Dinosaurs%!1.!LIZARDIHIPPED;!BIRDIHIPPED!2.!TRACE!FOSSILS!3.!SCAVENGER!4.!TERRIBLE!LIZZARD!5.!FRILL!6.!EORAPTOR!7.!BARYONYX!8.!BIRDS;!DINOBIRDS!9.!TYRANNOSAURUS!REX!10.!SMELL!11.!PLANT!12.!66!M!13.!ARMOUR!14.!FUSED!LIZZARD!15.!STONES!

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Fast!Facts!Answer!Key!

!Fantastic!Mammals!!

1. True!2. False!3. True!4. False!5. True!6. False!7. True!8. True!9. True!10. False!11. True!12. True!13. True!14. !False!15. True!16. !False!17. True!18. True!19. !True!20. True!21. !True!

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%Mysterious%Rainforests%

%1. canopy,!understory,!and!forest!floor!2. Capricorn;!Cancer%3. food;!shelter%4. colony%5. canopy!%6. highway%7. enemies%8. Manatees%9. cassava%10. deforestation%

%%!List!5!animals,!insects,!or!mammals!that!live!on!each!layer!of!the!rain!forest.!Then!on!another!sheet!of!paper,!draw!a!picture,!each!one!in!its!habitat!and!list!what!they!eat.!%ANSWERS%WILL%VARY.%

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Fast Facts book activities