Grasslands

Grasslands

Grasslands
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 4 to 10
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	10.11

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		plant-eating, short-distance, interesting, contrast, cheetahs, survival, biome, running, temperate, actually, fastest, receive, dominate, savannahs, bison, perhaps
	content words:		North America, Central Asia, South Africa, South America

Print Grasslands
edHelper.com subscriber options:

	Print Grasslands (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)
	Quickly print reading comprehension
	Print a proofreading activity

Feedback on Grasslands

Leave your feedback on Grasslands (use this link if you found an error in the story)

Grasslands

¹     Grasslands are an interesting biome - it is too dry to grow trees, but it is not dry enough to be a desert. Since neither forests nor bare ground dominate the landscape there, grasses flourish and cover the area like a big, green carpet!

²     Grasslands can be further divided into two categories - temperate grasslands and savannahs. What is the difference between the two? Well, temperate grasslands have hot summers and cold winters. Temperatures can range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to -4 degrees Fahrenheit there. With an average precipitation of about 20-35 inches a year, temperate grasslands receive most of its rainfall in late spring or early summer. Winter is a tough time for animals living in temperate grasslands. Grasses are either dead or buried under snow, making survival difficult for plant-eating animals. We can find temperate grasslands in North America, Europe, Central Asia, South Africa, and Argentina.

³     Unlike temperate grasslands that have quite a contrast in temperature changes, savannahs are warm all year round. They also receive slightly more rainfall than temperate grasslands. For animals living in savannahs, the difficult time of the year is not the winter but the dry season. The long drought usually causes fire and forces animals to travel for long distances to find food and water. Perhaps the biggest difference between temperate grasslands and savannahs is that savannahs actually have some trees scattered around! Africa, Australia, and South America all have savannahs.

Paragraphs 4 to 5:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

Copyright © 2008 edHelper