9-1 (05)
release dates: February 26-March 4
TM
TM
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
© 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
By BETTY DEBNAM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
A Force of Nature
The Great Grizzly
Bear
The grizzly bear is an awesome
animal. It is so big and powerful that it
has almost no enemies. A mother grizzly
protecting her cubs is one of the most
dangerous animals on Earth.
But grizzly
bears are also
intelligent and
playful. In the
spring, they
might play by
sliding down snow-covered hills, then
running back up to do it again and again.
Most grizzly cubs
are born in January
or February. They
are blind and almost
hairless and must
snuggle up to their
moms for warmth.
Newborn cubs
weigh only about
a pound.
They stay in the
dens feeding from
their mother for two
to three months,
depending on when
it turns warm. By the
time they are ready
to leave the den,
they weigh between
4 and 8 pounds.
They gain weight
quickly in the spring.
photo courtesy National Park service
The grizzly bear is also called the
brown bear. Its fur may also be black
or blond. It gets the name “grizzly”
from the white ends of its fur.
“Grizzled” means something scattered
with white or gray.
Grizzlies are among the biggest
bears on Earth. The polar bear is the
only other bear that can get as big.
When it rears up on its back paws,
it may be 7 feet tall. An adult male
may weigh between 300 to 1,500 pounds.
A grizzly bear can also be recognized by
its long snout and by the large hump of
muscle between its front shoulders.
photo courtesy National Pak Service
Color and size
Hibernating
When animals hibernate, they go
into a special kind of deep sleep. They
do this in
order to
survive
long
winters
when food
is scarce.
Grizzly bears do not go into as deep
a hibernation as other animals. They
remain somewhat aware of their
surroundings.
If there is danger, or if the weather
turns warmer, they might wake up.
Grizzly bears may hibernate for
more than half a year. During this
time, they do not eat or drink, and
they do not get rid of body waste. They
live off layers of body fat.
Cubs are born when the mother is
hibernating. The mother awakens to
be sure the cubs are tucked in warmly.
She regularly cleans and cares for the
cubs during the hibernation period.
The cubs spend the
rest of the winter
drinking milk from
their mom and
sleeping.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
®
9-2 (05); release dates: February 26-March 4
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Check out The Mini Page’s Grizzly Bear “Snip Strips”! Snip them out,
fold the answers back, and test yourself, your friends and family.
You can also collect them for a game.
WHAT STATE
HAS THE
MOST
GRIZZLY
BEARS?
ALASKA HAS THE
BIGGEST POPULATION
OF GRIZZLY BEARS,
WITH ABOUT 30,000.
THE NEXT BIGGEST
POPULATION OF
GRIZZLIES IS IN AND
AROUND YELLOWSTONE
PARK. THERE ARE FROM
300 TO 600 THERE.
HOW MANY
KINDS, OR
SPECIES, OF
BEARS ARE
THERE IN
THE WORLD?
THERE ARE EIGHT
SPECIES OF BEARS ALIVE
TODAY: THE BROWN
BEAR (THE GRIZZLY IS A
TYPE OF BROWN BEAR),
AMERICAN BLACK BEAR,
ASIAN BLACK BEAR,
SPECTACLED BEAR, SUN
BEAR, SLOTH BEAR,
GIANT PANDA BEAR AND
POLAR BEAR.
HOW LONG
DOES A
GRIZZLY BEAR
LIVE?
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Spy . . .
Mini Spy and Basset Brown are vacationing in Yellowstone
National Park, where they hope to see grizzly bears! See if you
can find: • elephant’s face • question mark • exclamation mark
• carrot
• number 3
• goose
• letter A
• lion • heart
• two fish
• hammer
• tooth
• word MINI
• snake
• horse’s head
• doughnut
• key • arrow
HOW MANY
SPECIES OF
BEARS LIVE IN
NORTH
AMERICA?
THREE DIFFERENT
SPECIES OF BEARS LIVE
IN NORTH AMERICA:
THE AMERICAN BLACK
BEAR, THE GRIZZLY
BEAR AND THE POLAR
BEAR. THE AMERICAN
BLACK BEAR IS THE
MOST COMMON.
WHAT DID NATIVE
AMERICANS SEE
WHEN THEY
LOOKED AT THE
CONSTELLATION
NOW KNOWN AS
THE BIG DIPPER?
GRIZZLY BEARS
USUALLY LIVE
FROM 12 TO 30
YEARS IN THE
WILD.
TM
WHERE DO
GRIZZLY
BEARS LIKE
TO DIG
THEIR
DENS?
THEY USUALLY DIG
THEIR DENS IN
HILLS THAT FACE
NORTH. MORE SNOW
COLLECTS IN THESE
AREAS, SO THE
DEN IS BETTER
INSULATED. THIS
KEEPS THE BEARS
WARMER IN WINTER.
Brown
Basset ws
The Ned’s
Houn
TM
MANY NATIVE
AMERICANS SAW
HUNTERS CHASING A
BEAR WHEN THEY
LOOKED AT THIS
GROUPING OF STARS.
THE HUNTERS WERE
THE STARS IN THE
HANDLE, AND THE BEAR
WAS MADE UP OF THE
STARS IN THE CUP.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Grizzly Bears
TRY ’N
FIND
Words and names that remind us of grizzly bears are hidden in the
block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if
you can find: CUB, POWERFUL, PROTECT, BERRIES, SNOUT,
INTELLIGENT, FUR, WHITE, PAWS, HIBERNATION, DEN,
SPRING, WINTER, FOOD, MOTHS, FISH, ELK, TERRITORY,
HABITAT, ROAM, PLANTS, SMELL.
W I N T E R Y R O T I R R E T
GRIZZLIES ARE P A W S N O I T A N R E B I H
AWESOME!
K L T N E G I L L E T N I I P
P O W E R F U L W S H T O M R
S N O U T V U F F H M A O R O
E L K L L E M S O I I V O C T
P L A N T S R U F O S T U U E
S E I R R E B D E N D H E B C
S P R I N G C T A T I B A H T
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9-3 (05); release dates: February 26-March 4
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
TM
Go dot to dot and color.
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Chocolate Bear Paws
• 1 (4-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 (19-ounce) package brownie mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small package of sliced almonds
What to do:
1. In a large bowl, combine the pudding and brownie mixes.
2. Add the eggs and oil. Mix well.
3. With clean hands, form small balls with the dough.
4. Place balls on a greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes
until firm.
6. Remove from oven and, while still warm, gently stick 5
sliced almonds into the side of one-half of each cookie to
make bear claws. Makes 36 cookies.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
You’ll need:
photo courtesy Twentieth Century Fox
Meet AnnaSophia Robb
AnnaSophia Robb is the young actress who
plays Opal in the movie “Because of Winn-Dixie,”
along with Laiko the dog as “Winn-Dixie.”
AnnaSophia was 8 when she first discovered
acting. People told her she had talent, so she
took an acting class and was chosen by an L.A.
agent to come to Los Angeles to audition.
AnnaSophia’s first acting job was for a commercial. She
has roles in other movies, including “Samantha: An
American Girl Holiday” and “Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory.” She also plays Liza in the Nickelodeon TV series
“Drake and Josh.”
AnnaSophia, 11, enjoys reading, watching movies,
traveling and shopping. She likes Chinese food, pizza and
sweets. She is an only child and lives in Denver. She hopes
one day to become a movie writer and producer.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
TM
All the following jokes have something in common.
Can you guess the common theme or category?
LEARN THE STATES…
and each state’s
capital, flower
and bird
• multi-colored
• large (35 x 23 inches)
• perfect for the classroom or a child’s room
To order, send $3.00 plus $1.00 postage and handling for each copy. Send only checks or money orders
payable to: Andrews McMeel Publishing, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206, or call 1800-591-2097. Information is available online: www.smartwarehousing.com.
Please send _________ copies of The Mini Page Map of the U.S.A. (Item #9937-0) at $4.00 each,
including postage and handling. (Bulk discount information available upon request.)
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________________________________ State: ____________ Zip: ____________
Hank: What is a chicken’s
favorite vegetable?
Hillary: Eggplant!
Harry: What do you call a lima bean’s
favorite hat?
Hannah: A lima beanie!
Horace: What veggies are always awarded
special attention?
Holly: V.I.Peas!
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
®
9-4 (05); release dates: February 26-March 4
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
The Grizzly Bear
The grizzly year
photo courtesy National Park Service
A grizzly eats a large variety of
food. Its main foods are from plants,
including grasses, fruits, berries,
pine nuts, roots, honey and bulbs.
Grizzlies eat carcasses of dead
animals. They hunt down elk or
bison calves. They eat small animals
such as gophers and ground squirrels,
and insects such as ants and moths.
They are great at fishing,
standing in the water and scooping
up salmon or trout. Sometimes they
jump onto a fish, knocking it to the
bottom of the riverbed.
In places where there are humans, grizzlies
eat garbage. People in bear territory must
be extra-careful to keep garbage and
food in a place safe from bears.
The digging bear
American habitat
Grizzly bears are great diggers.
They use their long claws and
big muscles to help them dig up
roots. They also can dig up small
animals such as gophers from their
underground homes.
In late fall,
grizzlies begin
digging their
winter dens.
Experts believe that about 200
years ago, there were around 50,000
grizzlies in the western U.S. Today
there are between 1,200 and 1,400
outside of Alaska. It is a threatened
species in the lower 48 states.
The biggest threat to the grizzly is
the destruction of its habitat by
logging, mining, housing
development and road building.
Grizzly lifestyle
Grizzly bears spend most of their
time alone. Males usually roam over
a large area, often covering more
than 2,000 square miles, bigger than
the state of Delaware. Females
range over territory only about onefourth as big.
During
mating
season,
from May
to early
July, male
grizzlies
search for females. The males and
females then stay in the same
territory for a short time.
Male grizzlies do not help care for
the cubs. Sometimes a male grizzly
may even kill and eat cubs.
The Mini Page thanks Chuck Schwartz,
biologist, USGS Grizzly Bear Study Team;
and Cheryl Matthews, Yellowstone
National Park, for help with this issue.
art © 1989, Servheen, courtesy National Park Service
What they eat
photo courtesy National Park Service
When grizzlies start leaving their
dens in April or May, the mother
bear is especially threatening when
defending her cubs. Grizzlies are
also extra-fierce when defending
their food since they have not eaten
for several months.
During the
summer and early
fall, a grizzly’s life
revolves around
food. It is either
finding and eating
food, or sleeping.
A grizzly has such a good sense of
smell that it can smell food from 18
miles away.
Each fall a grizzly gains about
one-third of its body weight in fat.
Around November, grizzlies usually
dig a new den and then go into their
long winter hibernation.
Cubs usually
stay with their
mothers for 2 1/2
to 3 1/2 years.
During the
spring and
summer, they
learn how to find
food and defend
themselves. In
the coldest
months they
hibernate in the
den with their
mothers.
The area with dots shows where grizzly
bears live today. The lighter-colored area
shows where grizzly bears used to roam.
Look through your newspaper for stories
about animals.
Site to see: www.nps.gov/yell/
Next week The Mini Page is about
Newspaper in Education Week.
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photo courtesy National Park Service
Meet the
grizzly bear
in
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
by Betty Debnam
Appearing in your
newspaper on ____________.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam
© 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
(Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-41/4-inch ad
promoting Issue 9.)
release dates: February 26-March 4
9-5 (05)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The MIni Page Publishing Company Inc.
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
TM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2005 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Standards Spotlight:
The Great Grizzly Bear
Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each
week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer
activities that will help your students reach them.
This week’s standards:
• Students understand the characteristics and life cycles of organisms. (Science:
Life Science)
• Students understand the interactions of animals and their environments. (Science:
Life Science)
Activities:
1. Make a series of grizzly bear trading cards. Draw a picture of a grizzly bear on the
front of 3-by-5-inch cards. Then write facts about the grizzly bear on the backs of the
cards. Share your cards with a friend.
2. Make a collage of words cut from the newspaper that relate to bears. Look in the sports
pages for team names.
3. Why are these features important to the grizzly bear: (a) strong sense of smell, (b) large
amount of body fat, and (c) long claws?
4. Draw a timeline representing 12 months, from January to December. Fill in the
timeline showing what grizzly bears do throughout the year: When do they hibernate?
When do they come out of hibernation? etc.
5. A grizzly bear is an “omnivore,” that is, it eats both plants and other animals.
Herbivores eat only plants and carnivores eat only meat. Use resource books and the
Internet to learn about other bears. Use these questions to guide your research: What
foods do other bears eat? What other animals are herbivores? What other animals are
carnivores?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
(Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 9.)
Supersport: Seimone Augustus
Height: 6-1
Birthdate: 4-30-84
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Followers of the women’s basketball team at
Louisiana State University undoubtedly think Seimone
Augustus is the best thing to come along since gumbo
and shrimp creole.
The dazzling All-America guard averages about 20
points per game and is a major reason LSU has a shot at the
national championship. Augustus was voted U.S. Basketball
Female Athlete of the Year in 2003 and is a national player-of-theyear candidate this season.
While basketball is her passion, Augustus does more than knock
down jump shots. In 2001 she received an award for community
service.
Her other interests include fashion design and classic cars. But
for now, she hopes to steer LSU to the national title.
(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 9, to be used
in place of ad if desired.)
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