Teaching Strategies, Tactics, and Methods

Nocturnal animals are up during the night and sleep during the day. Animals active during the day and sleep at night are known daily – the opposite of nocturnal.

Nocturnal animals tend to have increased senses due to their activity in the dark. To survive, nocturnal animals tend to have a more highly developed sense of smell, sight, and hearing.

Why are some animals nocturnal? There are various theories for how animals became nocturnal, but evolutionary biology is the most widely accepted theory. Millions of years ago, when the ancestors of modern-day mammals lived and evolved, they developed nocturnal characteristics to evade diurnal (active during the day) predators.

Becoming active at night, when their predators were sleeping, allowed certain species to survive and continue to pass on these nocturnal characteristics to the various nocturnal animals in the world today.

The Advantages of Being a Nocturnal Animal

Many animals hunt the same prey, for example, birds such as owls or hawks. However, as hawks are diurnal and owls nocturnal, there is reduced competition for food as the hawk hunts during the day and the owl at night; this allows for the continuation of the species as there is no need for conflict between the two.

Successful hunting is another benefit of nocturnality for predatory animals. Take lions, for example; their prey consists of zebra and antelope. Hunting prey at night gives the lion the advantage and increases their likelihood of success because the diurnal zebra and antelope have poor night vision.

The Impact of Human Activity on Nocturnal Animals

Both diurnal and nocturnal animals have been negatively affected by human activity. As humans increasingly expand the land they occupy and utilize, along with increasingly advanced technological innovations. As a result, animals are more at risk of becoming endangered.

The impact on nocturnal animals can be seen through light pollution (artificial light) and habitat destruction.

As humans expand the land they occupy and bring their technology with them, unnatural light is more common in territory occupied by various wild animals. As cities are lit up throughout the day, and into the night, this is now increasingly apparent in the further reaches of the world due to electricity. Nocturnal animals now do not have the darkness they require for successful activity at night. At the same time, unnatural light allows diurnal animals to have longer hunting hours, placing the nocturnal animals avoiding them at greater risk.

The destruction of habitats due to human activity and expansion has endangered a range of nocturnal species; this is due to an increasing presence of carnivorous predators, who are less afraid of human existence, while more animals will begin showing nocturnal characteristics to avoid humans. Creating an unbalanced circle of life in some ecosystems, with predators increasing presence presenting a more significant threat to nocturnal animals.

Examples of Nocturnal Animals

Owls

• Wondering where the phrase night owl comes from? Owls are one of the most well-known nocturnal animals.
• Owls hunt small mammals and insects
• Owls have evolved to be successful nocturnal hunters, having huge eyes compared to their bodies.

Bats

Unlike owls, bats can’t see very well. To be able to see during their nocturnal activities, bats use echolocation. They send out beeps and respond to the echoes that bounce back, allowing them to navigate where they are and successfully hunt.

Bats’ prey consists of insects and fruit.

Bats hang upside down when sleeping and wrap their wings around themselves to keep them insulated and warm.Top of Form

Hedgehogs

• Some hedgehogs can hibernate, remaining in a dormant state all winter.
• Hedgehogs use their heightened sense of smell and hearing to hunt insects; their long snout allows them to forage efficiently and find berries.
• Hedgehogs protect themselves from predators, such as badgers, by tucking themselves into a spiky ball.

Foxes

• Foxes use their incredible sense of hearing to find prey and navigate.
• They eat various things, including worms, berries, and spiders.
• Foxes communicate with each other using a variety of calls; there are over 28 fox calls.

Leopard

• A leopard’s spots provide effective camouflage so it can rest in trees or caves during the day.
• Leopards also use unique calls to communicate with each other.
• Leopards have a varied diet, eating other mammals like antelope, deer, bugs, and fish.Top of Form

Mouse

• Mice are another example of a nocturnal animal with poor sight, relying on their highly developed sense of hearing and smell to hunt and navigate.
• Mice are herbivores and eat different fruits and plants.
• Mice use their whiskers to sense temperature changes and feel the surface they’re walking on.

Descending order means a group of numbers, dates, words, etc., arranged from largest to smallest. “Descending” means “going down.”

Descending order meaning: examples

It can be hard to understand the meaning of descending order without a few examples. So we’ve included some below, including some word problems so that it makes a bit more sense.

Integers

There are six children in Mrs. Smith’s class. Therefore, she needs to arrange their test results in descending order.

The test results are 10, 7, 13, 8, 15, and 12.

In descending order, the test results are 15, 13, 12, 10, 8, and 7.

15 is the highest and most significant test result, so it goes on the left. 7 is the lowest test result and the smallest number, so it goes on the right. The other numbers are arranged between the most significant and most minor numbers.

Money

Four friends emptied their pockets and counted how much money each had.

Here are the amounts of money: £3.15, £1.50, £6.72, 87p.

In descending order, the amounts of money are £6.72, £3.15, £1.50, and 87p.

The most significant amounts of money are greater than £1, while the smallest part is less than £1; this helps to determine which number should go first in the list when arranged in descending order and which should go last.

Words

Words arranged in descending order go from Z to A, which is in reverse alphabetical order. Z goes on the left, while A goes on the right.

For example, here is a jumbled-up shopping list: bread, milk, honey, cereal, and toothpaste.

In descending order (from Z to A), the list reads toothpaste, milk, honey, cereal, and bread.

Toothpaste comes closest to the end of the alphabet, while bread comes closest to the beginning of the alphabet.

What is ascending order?

Ascending order is the opposite of descending order. “Ascending” means “going up.”

When numbers are arranged in ascending order, they go from smallest to largest. When words are arranged in ascending order, that is the same as alphabetical order – from A to Z.

Reasoning skills generally refer to critical thinking skills like analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. However, they also include broader skills like more abstract thinking, creative thinking, information processing, and problem-solving.

Higher thinking involves becoming aware of your thought processes and analyzing and evaluating them to develop. Reasoning skills help children become aware of their thought processes so that reflective thinking becomes more accessible.

Why are reasoning skills critical?

• These skills can be transferred to any subject, and developing them will give children more comprehensive expertise to tackle various problems.
• They make up the essential elements of mature and developed thinking children need in school and beyond.
• Reasoning skills improve meta-cognition (thinking about one’s review); this allows pupils to monitor and assess their thinking to have more autonomy over their learning and more awareness about what skills to use. Metacognition skills are a hallmark of intellectual thought.
• They help children make rational decisions based on evidence rather than prejudice.
• They’re essential if children are to think deeply about societal and ethical issues.
• Reasoning skills help children see things from different perspectives; this develops human skills like empathy and understanding.
• They bolster creativity, supporting children in making connections and approaching problems holistically.

When do we use reasoning skills?

We use reasoning skills daily when self-reflecting, analyzing situations, and processing information. Other times we use reasoning skills include:

• When we recognize loaded language in arguments or attempts to misrepresent information
• When we respond to counterarguments
• When we establish how credible a source of information is
• When we evaluate how reliable examples of evidence are
• When we come up with alternative explanations
• When we recognize patterns in data
• When we generate ideas and hypotheses.

How can you develop reasoning skills in school?

• Understanding arguments – Read articles on debated topics and highlight techniques the writers use, including reasons, evidence, structure, and conclusions.
• Evaluating arguments – There are five critical fallacies of most arguments; ad hominem (attacking the opponent), straw man (misrepresenting the opponent); tu quoque (two wrongs don’t make a right); slippery slope (jumping to unlikely or distant consequences); false dilemmas (restricting the options). Get children to try and spot examples of each in newspaper articles or debates.
• Developing arguments – Try and develop reasoned arguments, using evidence, for different issues. Children can practice responding to counterarguments and arguing points that differ from their actual point of view to build perspective.
• Evaluating the credibility of sources – Look for bias, vested interest, expertise, and other factors that may influence how a basis leans.
• Evaluating evidence – Practice analyzing evidence, focusing on sample sizes, framing questions, and alternative explanations.
• Evaluating explanations – Generate alternative explanations for phenomena, explore different options and perspectives, and question assumptions made in arguments
• Making decisions – Clearly define fairness, justice, equality, etc. Then, read up on debated topics like global warming, exploring different points of view and assessing the relevant criteria for deciding between options.
• Thinking conceptually – Produce concept maps on different topics and identify differences and similarities between concepts
• Processing information and solving problems – Determine what information is necessary to answer questions or solve problems. Practice skimming sources for relevant information, spot patterns, identify data and conclude.
• Thinking creatively – Look for different meanings or explanations for phenomena and determine what questions will help improve pupils’ understanding of an issue. Use who, what, where, why, and when to respond to stimulus.

Fun tips to improve reasoning skills:

• Try new activities and hobbies regularly. Pick things that are different from one another to develop other skills.
• Exercise regularly to improve memory and cognitive skills.
• Keep a journal so you can revisit your thoughts and learn from them. Journaling can also relieve stress and develop creativity.
• Read different genres of books. Reading fiction inspires insight and encourages you to think in less black-and-white terms.
• Play games that require reasoning skills, like chess, language games, or a Rubik’s Cube.
• Get creative by drawing, writing, playing instruments, or doing various other activities.
• Be mindful of the decisions you make throughout the day to spot regular thought patterns. Then, use your imagination to consider different options and consequences.

The English language is of Old Germanic origin, with many influences from other languages, including French, Latin, and Old Norse. It is a part of the Indo-European language family. It is the primary language of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States of America, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia. The English language is being used and spoken across the globe by over a billion people.

The history of the English language

Understanding the English language in more depth helps to look at its formation through history.

The English language is quite old; its origins date to 450CE in Anglo-Saxon Britain. This version of English is very different from the language we speak today, and you would probably find it quite hard to understand. This early version of English is known as Old English and was influenced mainly by Old Germanic.

The next stage main period of English is known as Middle English; this is the version of the language used for roughly 300 years, around 1150 to 1450CE. The changes from Old English to Middle English notably occurred due to the influence of the French language after the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066 CE. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is one of the most famous works of literature.

Before, the sort of English that we speak today was Early Modern English from 1500 to 1700 CE. One of the notable changes in English at this time was the Great Vowel Shift which affected the stress of long vowel syllables. Changing the pronunciation of many words; was also when English began to gain prestige and become more standardized. The printing press was invented, which meant English writing could be produced on a large scale, creating a standard of English originating from London and the East Midlands. The importance of the English language grew as it started to be used for official documents, popular literature, and new versions of the Bible.

The Modern English period began in the late 1700s and is marked by the spread of English globally by the British Empire through colonization. During this time, English had begun to be used in parts of North America, Australia, and Africa, leading to why English is the primary language of the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. However, the spread of English came at a loss to their languages and culture for many indigenous and native people. During the Second World War, English spread even further and afterward began to grow in cultural and economic influence up to its recognition as a global language today.Top of Form

The importance of the English language

English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world; in fact, it is often referred to as a ‘global language because of how many places it has spread to and how many people speak it. Not only is it the first language of over 400 million people, but there are also estimated to be over 1 billion that use English as a second or foreign language. Furthermore, it’s thought that second-language English speakers outnumber first-language English speakers by 3 to 1. That’s a lot of people!

Culturally, English is a language in which many essential pieces of literature have been written over the centuries; this includes the works of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, George Orwell, the Brontë sisters, and many more. These days, English is more recognized for its dominance in the media, with blockbuster films from America having worldwide popularity and popularity of English-speaking TV shows. The English language is an invaluable means for people to communicate stories worldwide.

Another reason for the importance of the English language is the internet. As the internet was initially developed in the UK and USA, all the early content was in English. While internet access has become more widespread and accessible, over 50% of its content is in English. And it’s often the chosen language used to reach global audiences online.

English is also the leading language in many fields, such as business, media, tourism, science, and higher education. So, many often view learning English as improving their employability and economic prospects. Many people learn English to help them get a job or work in other countries. English is also an essential language used in international diplomacy. One importance of the English language is to help create peace in the world.

Because English is so widespread, it is also often used as a lingua franca, meaning that two people who speak different first languages communicate through English as a common language. In addition, it helps connect friends and families from all over the world and even meet new people! So the importance of the English language can’t be underestimated, as it helps bring people closer together.

Features of the English language

Grammar

Grammar is essentially the rules of how a language is structured and used. Adhering to spelling and grammar rules is essential for English language users to communicate effectively, avoiding confusion and misunderstandings. Therefore, following these rules is sometimes called Standard English.

In English grammar, sentences are constructed from words identified by nine different word classes: verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, determiners, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, and interjections. English grammar is not just how sentences are structured but also includes punctuation, tenses, spelling, and word formation.

English grammar is considered to be similar to German grammar. And it is said to be less tricky than other languages, such as French’s lack of gendered grammar.

Vocabulary

English words are made from 26 characters in the Latin alphabet:

A b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

There are over 170,000 English words, but you probably won’t know all of them. It is estimated that if you grew up speaking English, you +would know between 15,000 and 20,000 words.

Some English words come from other languages. These are called loanwords, where a word from another language has been adopted without translation. For example, many French and German loanwords in English, like ‘faux pas’ and ‘schadenfreude,’ because of the shared history of where these languages originated. There are also English words loaned into other languages, such as ‘jeans’ in French and ‘trainer’ in German to mean coach.

A sphere is a perfectly-round 3D shape with one continuous curved surface; every point on the surface is the same distance from the center. All the ends of its surface are equidistant (an equal distance) from its center.

Characteristics of a Sphere

Spheres are perfectly round and have the following:

• one curved surface;
• no edges;
• no vertices;
• all the points are the same distance from the center.

Here are the properties of other common 3D shapes:

• Cube: 6 faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices;
• Square-based pyramid: 5 aces, 8 edges, and 5 vertices;
• Cuboid: 6 faces, 12 edges, and 8 vertices;
• Tetrahedron: 4 faces, 6 edges, and 4 vertices;
• Octahedron: 8 faces, 12 edges, and 6 vertices.

Fun Facts About Spheres

1. Spheres can be found everywhere, in the food we eat and especially in sports with basketballs, footballs, tennis balls, etc.
2. All points on the surface of a sphere are the same distance from the center.
3. Spheres are perfectly symmetrical shapes.
4. The distance from the center of a sphere to its surface is known as the radius.
5. The most significant distance through a sphere is the diameter, twice the size of the radius.
6. You can work out a sphere’s volume and surface area using Pi (π).
7. A sphere is circular in every direction.
8. Sometimes a sphere has a north and a south pole on opposite ends of its surface.
9. A sphere can be divided into two hemispheres, equal in size, by a flat 2D surface that goes through the center.
10. We often use words like the North Pole, South Pole, hemisphere, and equator when talking about the Earth. However, the Earth isn’t a sphere – it is more of a flattened sphere (spheroid).

Definition: Adaptation

• The process of changing so an animal or organism can become better suited to its surrounding environment.

What are adaptations?

Adaptations are characteristics that improve an organism’s chance of survival. These are usually functional traits maintained through evolution and natural selection and passed down through generations.

Adaptation has three meanings in a biological sense:

An organism can change to adjust to its immediate habitat. For example, a growing plant at an increasing altitude could alter its metabolism or the nutrients it requires to help it survive.

Adaptation is also considered in a genetic sense. There is a sense of the ‘survival of the fittest where only the most potent genetic variations survive, thrive, and reproduce. For example, the peppered moth in the UK had to adapt following the Industrial Revolution. A genetic mutation caused an adaptation, allowing the moths to hide from predators due to their darker pigmentation.

Lastly, adaptation can be for one specific function. An example of this is the horn of a rhino to fight off competitors or the webbed feet of a duck to help with swimming.

Who was Charles Darwin?

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who worked on the theory of evolution and adaptation. Born in 1809, his book, On The Origin of Species, provided the first tangible evidence that development had occurred. He also put forward theories about how and why animals adapt and evolve.

Why do animals adapt?

Animals adapt to survive better in their environments. Philosophers and natural historians argue two opposing viewpoints on the reason for adaptation. Some believe that animal adaptation would happen regardless of their ability to survive in their environment, becoming more complex and adapting to achieve more and more.

While some believe that there is a final purpose for adaptation, once an animal survives and thrives in its environment, there is no need for further transformation.Top of Form

Practically, animals adapt to survive. We can see this with Darwin’s Finches. An experiment that studied finches living on different islands in the Galapagos. Over 40 years of observation, each developed specific character traits to survive on their respective island.

Some islands were found to have more bugs living burrowed inside trees. Over time, the finches on these islands developed beaks that were long and slim, giving them a better tool to catch and eat these bugs.

How do animals adapt?

Adaptations are popularly known to be created through natural selection; this is when animals with more promising traits are more likely to survive and, therefore, more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. Passing those adaptations on to their offspring, giving them a better chance at survival – and the pattern continues.

Similarly, animals that do not have this trait are less likely to survive and less likely to pass on those traits to their offspring. Leading animals with that trait eventually die out.

Here are four different ways that an animal adaptation could take place:

Changes in habitat

When an environment changes, animals have no choice but to adapt; this can be through finding a suitable climate or adapting eating and living habits to support themselves in their new environment.

Genetic change

A genetic change may take place if natural selection allows for a particular gene to be more easily passed down because of a better survival rate due to that gene.

Co-adaptation

Co-adaptation is when two species adapt to help each other survive; the existence of one is tightly bound to the presence of another. Examples include bees and flowers or humans and trees.

Mimicry

Mimicry is when an animal’s adaptation mimics another species to help it survive. For example, the hoverfly, a harmless bug that looks a lot like a wasp, bears the warning colors of black and yellow.

Examples of Animal Adaptations

Here are a few examples of some crazy animal adaptations found in the natural world.

• Alaskan wood frogs freeze their bodies during the winter to survive.
• Kangaroos survive the desert by hydrating through moisture in seeds. They never drink water.
• Some fish in the antarctic can produce proteins that bind to their blood, preventing them from freezing.
• The African Bullfrog can create a hard outer shell from the mucus it produces; this can keep it hydrated for up to seven years while it waits underground for rain.
• Chameleons can change the color of their skin to match their surroundings so they can easily blend in and hide from predators.

What is the Closest Planet to the Earth?

In addition to being the closest planet to the Sun, Mercury is also the closest planet to Earth. However, the answer to this question is not as straightforward as it sounds. Many people argue that Venus is the closest planet to Earth, and while this is not correct, it is not technically incorrect either. It all has to do with how you measure the distance.

If you look at a solar system diagram, you will see that Venus and Mars appear to be the closest distance to the earth. So, if you find the average distance between Earth & Mars and Earth & Venus, subtract the smallest radius from the biggest one for each pair. The smallest space should tell us the closest planet to the Earth, Venus. There is nothing overtly wrong with this method of measuring distance; however, if you look at it closely, you will see that you are just counting the smallest possible distance between the two planets. It is because the formula only calculates how close the planets will get to Earth throughout their orbit; the rest of the time in their orbit, they may be much further from Earth. Therefore, to find the planet closest to the Earth, we need to consider the planets’ average distance throughout their orbit.

Venus gets the closest to the Earth, but it is not always this close. In fact, at its farthest distance from Earth, Venus is a massive 160 million miles away. So, when Venus is off 160 million miles away, what planet is the closest to Earth? Again, the answer to that is not straightforward, as it tends to change. Sometimes, Mars is the closest planet to Earth. The closest Mars comes to Earth in its orbit is 33.9 million miles away.

To get an answer that is not subject to change, we must look at what planet is closest to the Earth on average. When we calculate this, we find that Mercury spends the most time relative to the Earth; this is large because, out of all of the planets in our solar system, Mercury has the smallest orbit. So, while it never gets as close to Earth as Mars or Venus, it never gets as far away as those planets do.

Interestingly, Mercury’s small orbit also means it is the closest planet to all other planets in the solar system. So, Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The same logic applies here when calculating Mercury’s distance from the Earth. While Mercury is never actually very close to any of these planets because of its small orbit, it is also never very far away. It’s important to note that while Mercury’s orbit might be classified as small in terms of spatial distance, it is still comparatively huge to any space on Earth. For instance, Mercury tends to orbit around the sun at a mean distance of ​​58 million km. If this is small, imagine how big the other planets’ orbits must be!

How Long is Each Planet’s Orbit?

Each of the planets in our solar system has its unique orbit that they travel within, all of which last varying amounts of time. The length of the planet’s orbits are as follows:

• Mercury: Out of all the planets in our solar system, Mercury has the shortest orbit, coming in at just 88 days.
• Venus: The orbit of Venus lasts 224 days.
• Earth: This is the one we all know because it is how we measure our years. The Earth’s orbit lasts 365 days.
• Mars: One of Mars’ orbits lasts 1.88 years.
• Jupiter: Jupiter’s orbit is a big jump from the previous one, as it lasts an impressive 11.86 years.
• Saturn: There is another leap here, as Saturn’s orbit lasts 29.46 years.
• Uranus: This is where the orbits get big, as Uranus’ orbit lasts 84 years.
• Neptune: Now we’re in the hundreds, as Neptune’s orbit lasts 164.79 years.
• Pluto: Pluto is technically a dwarf planet, but for the sake of comparison, we’ve included it in this list anyway. Pluto is very far from the sun, so its orbit is vast, lasting 248.59 years!

A large part of the Arctic is made up of the Arctic Ocean, mostly covered by sea ice. As a result, the Arctic has extreme weather conditions, with temperatures falling below -58 degrees F. These inhospitable conditions meant that all creatures in the region had to develop adaptations that allowed them to survive there. Despite the extreme weather, various Arctic animals call this region their home.

Polar Bear

Polar bears are one of the most recognizable Arctic animals. They’re the largest bear species in the world. A polar bear weighs between 385 lbs and 1,400 lbs and measures between 6.5 ft and 10 ft. These massive animals have a strong sense of smell; this helps them hunt seals, as they can smell a seal from as far as .5 miles away and even under 3 feet of snow. Their primary diet consists of seals, but they have also been known to hunt small whales. In addition, they will eat roots, seaweed, and other plants if no other food is available.

Polar bears have developed unique adaptations that allow them to live in the Arctic habitat. For example, they have large furry feet with sharp and powerful claws that help them move efficiently on ice. They’re also great swimmers. Polar bears build a thick layer of fat around their bodies, up to 4 inches wide; this protects them from frigid temperatures and provides an energy reserve when food is scarce. Polar bears have black skin under their fur, which helps to absorb heat and keep them warm. Despite appearing white, their hair is made from hollow, transparent fibers that act as insulation. Due to the melting of sea ice caused by climate change, polar bears need to hunt earlier each year; this makes their feeding season shorter, and as a result, they have less time to build up their fat reserves.

Arctic fox

Arctic foxes have thick, warm coat that changes color depending on the seasons. In the winter, their skin is bright white, allowing them to blend in with the surrounding snow and ice. In the summer, their fur changes to a greyish-brown color that helps them camouflage amongst the rocks and plants of the tundra. In addition, they have thick, bushy tail that serves as a cover in cold weather and helps them balance. Arctic foxes measure between 18 and 26 and weigh between 6.6 lbs and 20 lbs.

Arctic foxes hunt rodents, birds, and fish. When prey is insufficient, they follow polar bears and scavenge their leftovers. Arctic foxes are well-adapted to the freezing conditions of the Arctic regions and can withstand temperatures as low as -58 degrees F. Some of their adaptations include furry paws and short ears.

Walrus

Walruses are pretty giant! Some males can weigh over 3,500 lbs. They are the largest fin-footed mammals, also called pinnipeds. Unlike other pinnipeds, walruses can walk on their hind fins. The average lifespan of these incredible Arctic animals is 40 years. They are mostly recognizable by their massive tusks that can grow almost a meter long. Male walruses use these tusks to fight and show dominance. These tusks also help them climb onto the ice. You can tell a walrus’s age by the number of rings in the cross-section of its tusk.

Their bodies store a lot of blubbers, which helps protect them from the cold temperatures of the Arctic. It also serves as a source of energy when food is scarce. Walruses can float vertically in the water and even sleep this way, thanks to air sacs located along their neck. They have thick, wrinkled skin up to 4 inches wide. Their diet includes marine animals such as shrimp, crabs, mollusks, and clams. Walruses will forage the sea floor searching for food using their sensitive whiskers called vibrissae.

Snowy Owl

The snowy owl is unique and different from other owl species because it needs to develop some adaptations to help it survive in the inhospitable habitat of the Arctic. It is one of the few owl species that has mainly white plumage. Younger owls will have more brown and dark markings that eventually turn white as they age. Snowy owls measure between 7 and 12 cm. Their wingspan ranges from 4 to 5 ft.

Snowy owls hunt at night, but unlike other species, they also hunt during the daytime. They’re patient hunters and will wait to locate their prey before flying after it. They have exceptional eyesight and hearing, which helps them detect prey even under plants or snow. Snowy owls use their strong paws to snatch their prey. They mainly eat lemmings, but they will also eat other small mammals, fish, and birds. An adult snowy owl can eat up to 1600 lemmings per year.

Lemming

Lemmings are small rodents. These tiny Arctic animals grow to 5-18 inches in length and weigh around 23g. They are herbivores and mainly eat mosses and grasses. They can often be found foraging for berries, leaves, and shoots. Unlike other rodents, they don’t hibernate over the winter. Instead, they stay active, burrowing in the snow to find food. Lemmings create large tunnel systems in the snow with various areas for rest and other activities.

Arctic Hare

Arctic hares live in the North American parts of the Arctic tundra. They can weigh between 5 and 12 lbs and measure 16 – 30 inches. Arctic hares are speedy runners; they can run up to 40 miles per hour. These animals have adapted to the extreme environment of their polar habitat with short ears and limbs, a small nose, and a thick coat. Their coat is pure white in the winter and brown in the summertime. It helps them blend in with their surroundings and protect themselves from predators.

Arctic hares eat mosses, woody plants, and lichens. They are herbivores, which means they only eat plants. They also eat leaves, berries, and roots in the summer. Their bodies store a lot of fat, up to 20%. This layer of fat provides important insulation that protects them from the cold.

Harp Seal

Harp seals prefer to spend most of their time swimming in the icy Arctic Ocean. Adult harp seals measure between 5.5 to 6.5 feet long and weighs from 250 to 300 lbs. Adult seals are silver-gray. Their pups have white coloring. This color helps them blend in with their surroundings, as they’re born on the sea ice and remain there until they become strong enough to swim. Harp seals are social animals that live in large groups. They produce a wide variety of vocalizations with which they communicate with each other.

Harp seals have a thick layer of fat around their bodies that helps to protect them from freezing temperatures. Their diet includes mainly fish and sea invertebrates. They catch their prey by diving into the ocean and can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes.

Repeated subtraction is a way of teaching about division. It is the repeated subtraction of the same number from a large number down to zero. It is a great way to introduce children to division.

Repeated Subtraction is a method that subtracts an equal number of items from a group, also known as division. Also, the same number is subtracted repeatedly from another more significant number until the remainder is zero or more negligible than the number being deducted.

Why is repeated subtraction useful?

Learning about division as repeated subtraction allows children to use a skill they are already familiar with; this gently introduces them to a new concept that might be difficult to understand at first. Because of this, repeated subtraction is especially useful for younger primary children new to the division. It is similar to how repeated addition can be used to teach a lesson on multiplication.

Not only will it make these abstract concepts less daunting, but it will also give them an essential procedure for working out problems related to division.

Repeated subtraction is also a valuable tool for individual learning. For example, when first attempting to solve division problems on your own, having an ordinary skill to fall back on will make the process much simpler.

Examples of Repeated Subtraction

There are two ways repeated subtraction can be used to get the correct answer:

1. The first method is where the divisor is subtracted until the remainder is less than the divisor. For example, if you had the question 30 ÷ 6, you would remove 6 from 30 until the rest is less than 6. In this case, after subtracting five times, you would be left with the answer 5.
2. The second way to use division as repeated subtraction is to note how many times you subtracted the divisor. For example, in the question above (30 ÷ 6), six were taken away from 30 five times. So the answer you would write here would be 30 ÷ 6 = 6 r5, which translates to 6 with the remainder 5 (or five left over).

Let’s take another example: what is 38 divided by 5? You could use repeated subtraction to find out how many times you could take five away from 34 before hitting a number smaller than 4; this (plus the remainder) would be your answer. For example:

1. 38 – 5 = 33
2. 33 – 5 = 28
3. 28 – 5 = 23
4. 23 – 5 = 18
5. 18 – 5 = 13
6. 13 – 5 = 8
7. 8 – 5 = 3

So the answer is 7 with a remainder of 3

What is regrouping in mathematics?

Regrouping is done by creating groups of tens during operations like subtraction and addition. Regrouping involves reorganizing numbers into groups by place value to make it easier to carry out operations.

This process is called regrouping because you rearrange numbers into place values to carry out the operation. Regrouping is a great way to make more significant calculations easier, especially for children. When you’re using regrouping with subtraction, it can also be known as ‘borrowing.’

This helpful method is taught in schools to make addition and subtraction easier for students. If you’re unsure how it’ll work and if it’ll be as easy as it sounds, don’t worry; we’ll take you through the process.

How does regrouping work?

Regrouping may sound complicated when it’s explained, but seeing it in action will show you that it’s not as hard as it sounds. So here are our guides on how to regroup with addition and subtraction.

Regrouping with addition:

1. First, we need a problem that we want to solve. Let’s say we want to add 18 and 12, which equals 30.
2. When regrouping with addition, it’s best to visualize your problem as a grid. Take a look below for an example:

3. The first addition we’d make in this situation would be to add together 2 and 8, which equals 10. But there’s no spot to write ten on the bottom row. So, in this case, we need to use regrouping. To do this, we take the 0 from the ten and place it into the bottom row, then we take the one and put it above our ten’s column. Here’s an updated grid below:

4. Now, we need to add up the ten’s columns. In this case, we have three 1s to add together; this brings us to the correct answer to the solution, which is 30.

5. But, sometimes, you’re not just using ten-digit numbers. You might need to add up some triple-digit numbers. The process is the same, but you may have to carry over more 1s. Take a look at the example below:

6. So, in this case, we need to add 7 and 9, which equals 16. Place the 6 in the bottom and regroup the one above the 3; this now means that our second column becomes 1 + 3 + 6 = 10. We do the same thing again, the 0 from the ten goes to the bottom, and the one goes above the first column; this means our first column is 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. There you have it; our big number problem was solved quickly.

Regrouping with subtraction:

1. First, we need to decide what our problem will be. Let’s say we want to solve 33 minus 19, which equals 14. Next, we need to put our numbers into a grid again; look below for an example.

2. We can start regrouping now that we have our grid setup. When it comes to subtraction, the process is a little different from addition. We need to ‘borrow’ a ten from the first column, so we take a ten from the 30; this makes our grid look like this:

3. Next, we do the calculations. 13 minus 9 equals 4. For the first column, we do 2 – 1 = 1. That leaves us with our answer of 14.

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Practice questions

To give you some practice, here are some questions for you to try out with the regrouping method. We’ll put the answers further down the page so you can check them later. See how many you can do and use the guides to help you if you get stuck. Good luck!

1. 19 + 23
2. 45 + 22
3. 56 + 18
4. 103 + 219
5. 219 + 327
6. 33 – 14
7. 45 – 27
8. 62 – 29
9. 93 – 77
10. 86 – 37

When is regrouping used in real life?

Regrouping is used, in our lives, whenever people need to use addition and subtraction. You might see this when you’re around the house, doing chores, or organizing your bedroom. You’ll see this when you’re handling money at the shops or buying things online. Adults use addition and subtraction all the time when they’re at work.

Don’t worry if you have to use regrouping at any point; it’s a great and easy method. Suppose you have to pause and get a pen and paper to work out excellent math. Not everyone is a maths whiz and can solve problems in their head. Sometimes you have to write things down to work them out; that’s completely normal. The more you practice this method, the more you’ll start to be able to work out solutions in your head.

Practice question answers

Here are the answers to the questions we gave to you earlier. How many did you get right?

1. 19 + 23 = 42
2. 45 + 22 = 67
3. 56 + 18 = 74
4. 103 + 219 = 322
5. 219 + 327 = 546
6. 33 – 14 = 19
7. 45 – 27 = 18
8. 62 – 29 = 33
9. 93 – 77 = 16
10. 86 – 37 = 49