What a Diagram Adds
RI.2.7
Read the text, then answer the questions.
How a Polar Bear Stays Warm
A polar bear lives where the sea freezes. It has three ways of keeping its heat in. Under its skin is a layer of fat up to eleven centimetres thick. Fat is a poor conductor, so heat does not pass through it easily. Above that is dense underfur, packed tight so cold water cannot reach the skin. On top are long guard hairs. Each one is hollow and clear, not white. They look white because they scatter the light, the way snow does. A polar bear is so well insulated that it can overheat if it runs too far.
- 1. What would a cross-section diagram need to label?
Inside a Fire Engine
A fire engine carries everything a crew might need, because there is no time to go back for anything. It holds about eighteen hundred litres of water. That sounds like a lot, but a hose can empty it in under three minutes, so the crew connect to a hydrant as soon as they can. Ladders are carried on the roof. The longest can reach a third-floor window. Inside are cutting tools for road accidents, breathing sets for smoke, and a thermal camera that finds a hot spot through a wall. The engine is red so that it is seen. The siren is for when being seen is not enough.
- 1. What would a diagram for this text need to label?
LessonPrint · RI.2.7 · Set 24 · free to copy for classroom use