Name: ___________________________Date: __________________
Period: ___
BBC Earth Series “LIFE”: Episode 1 - Challenges of Life
Narrated by David Attenborough
Please use COMPLETE SENTENCES unless the question is fill in the blank.
As you finish one question, it is advantageous to begin the sentence for the next question so you know what
information you need (and so you don’t have to scramble to write a sentence once you hear the answer!)
PRE-VIDEO QUESTION: The video is titled “Challenges of Life.” What are at least three challenges you think
organisms in nature have to overcome in order to stay alive and pass their genetics on to future generations?
VIDEO QUESTIONS:
1. Describe in a sentence how the dolphins in the beginning of the video hunt their prey.
2. This series reveals the most spectacular and extraordinary ___________________ that animals and
plants have developed to stay _______________.
3. For every creature, every day is full of ________________, all of which must be overcome somehow in
order to ___________________.
4. Kenya is famous for its _______ _________, the supreme _____________.
5. Why do cheetahs typically hunt smaller prey?
6.
What was unusual about the “band of brothers” that hunted together?
7. Other animals have also ___________ surprising tactics to outmaneuver the enemy; not with brute
strength, but with extraordinary _______________.
8.
What well camouflaged insect is shown as the video moves to the Madagascar ecosystem?
9. What is special about the chameleon’s skin color?
10. The panther chameleon’s tongue can be projected from its mouth at _____ meters per second.
11. What type of whale is shown hunting seals in the oceans surrounding Antarctica?
12. Describe the outcome of the hunt of the lone seal that was surrounded by whales.
13. What is special about how the fish shown next have evolved to escape predators like swordfish?
.
14. In Brazil, the brown tufted capuchin eat large nuts surrounded by a tough shell. Describe some of the
methods these monkeys use to crack the shell and get to the edible part of the nut.
15. How many hairs have to be triggered before a venus fly trap closes? _____ hairs
16. In Malaysa, the two stalked eyed males with the longest stalks will face off to compete for the nearby
_________________. The “winning” stalked eyed fly male has the right to mate with _____ the
females nearby.
17. In Zambia, in an oxbow lake, a newcomer hippo has only two choices: ________________ or
________________.
18. The dominant male hippo in a certain area is called the ________________.
19. In the video, the newcomer hippo loses the fight. His chance to ____________ ______________ is
over for now.
20. For some animals, the challenges of breeding are not about fighting, but about _______________,
such as with birds and their displays, songs and rituals.
21. Describe in a sentence the courtship process of the Grebe birds shown in Oregon.
22. Those animals which have young now face a whole new set of challenges, to ____________ and
____________ their offspring.
23. The Giant Pacific Octopus shown is over ____ meters long.
24. The Giant Pacific Octopus is carrying _____________ eggs.
25. Although the female octopus laid _________________eggs, only a ________ will survive to adulthood.
26. What happens to the female octopus after her eggs hatch?
27. How does the female poison arrow frog care for her tadpoles?
28. How does she feed her tadpoles once she places them in the bromeliad pool?
29. What happens to the baby penguin that ventures off alone?
30. In the end, overcoming life’s challenges, whether finding enough to ________ or outwitting your
____________, is only significant if life’s final challenge can be met. What is this one ultimate goal?
TEACHER ANSWER KEY:
BBC Earth Series “LIFE”: Episode 1 - Challenges of Life
Narrated by David Attenborough
Please use COMPLETE SENTENCES unless the question is fill in the blank.
As you finish one question, it is advantageous to begin the sentence for the next question so you know what
information you need (and so you don’t have to scramble to write a sentence once you hear the answer!)
PRE-VIDEO QUESTION: The video is titled “Challenges of Life.” What are at least three challenges you think
organisms in nature have to overcome in order to stay alive and pass their genetics on to future generations?
ANSWERS WILL VARY: FINDING FOOD, AVOIDING PREDATORS, FINDING MATES, RAISING
OFFSPRING, ETC
VIDEO QUESTIONS:
1. Describe in a sentence how the dolphins in the beginning of the video hunt their prey.
ANSWERS WILL VARY.
2. This series reveals the most spectacular and extraordinary ___________________ that animals and
plants have developed to stay _______________. STRATEGIES, ALIVE
3. For every creature, every day is full of ________________, all of which must be overcome somehow in
order to ___________________. CHALLENGES, SURVIVE
4. Kenya is famous for its _______ _________, the supreme _____________. BIG CATS, HUNTERS
5. Why do cheetahs typically hunt smaller prey?
ANSWERS WILL VARY. EXAMPLE: ALTHOUGH THEAY ARE VERY FAST, CHEETAHS
DON’T HAVE STRENGTH OR WEIGHT TO BRING DOWN LARGE ANIMALS.
6.
What was unusual about the “band of brothers” that hunted together?
ANSWERS WILL VARY. EX) MOST CHEETAHS TRADITIONALLY HUNT ALONE, BUT SOME HAVE
STARTED TO LEARN THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER, THEY CAN BRING DOWN LARGER PREY.
7.
Other animals have also ___________ surprising tactics to outmaneuver the enemy; not with brute
strength, but with extraordinary _______________. EVOLVED, WEAPONS
8.
What well camouflaged insect is shown as the video moves to the Madagascar ecosystem? PREYING
MANTIS
9. What is special about the chameleon’s skin color?
ANSWERS WILL VARY. EX) IT CAN CHANGE COLOR TO BETTER CAMOFLAGE
10. The panther chameleon’s tongue can be projected from its mouth at _____ meters per second. 15
11. What type of whale is shown hunting seals in the oceans surrounding Antarctica?
KILLER WHALES or ORCAS
12. Describe the outcome of the hunt of the lone seal that was surrounded by whales.
ANSWERS WILL VARY. EX) THE SEAL ESCAPED USING SKILL AND THE CHUNK OF ICE TO
HIDE FROM ITS PREDATORS.
13. What is special about how the fish shown next have evolved to escape predators like swordfish?
ANSWERS WILL VARY. EX) THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A WAY TO FLY/GLIDE
ACROSS THE WATER TO ESCAPE PREDATORS.
14. In Brazil, the brown tufted capuchin eat large nuts surrounded by a tough shell. Describe some of the
methods these monkeys use to crack the shell and get to the edible part of the nut.
ASNWERS WILL VARY. EX) THEY LEAVE NUTS IN THE SUN TO DRY OUT, THEY USE ROCKS
AS TOOLS TO CRACK THE SHELL OPEN.
15. How many hairs have to be triggered before a venus fly trap closes? _____ hairs 2
16. In Malaysa, the two stalked eyed males with the longest stalks will face off to compete for the nearby
_________________. The “winning” stalked eyed fly male has the right to mate with _____ the
females nearby. FEMALES, ALL
17. In Zambia, in an oxbow lake, a newcomer hippo has only two choices: ________________ or
________________. SUBMIT, FIGHT
18. The dominant male hippo in a certain area is called the ________________. OVERLORD
19. In the video, the newcomer hippo loses the fight. His chance to ____________ ______________ is
over for now. FATHER OFFSPRING
20. For some animals, the challenges of breeding are not about fighting, but about _______________,
such as with birds and their displays, songs and rituals. COURTSHIP
21. Describe in a sentence the courtship process of the Grebe birds shown in Oregon.
ANSWERS WILL VARY.
22. Those animals which have young now face a whole new set of challenges, to ____________ and
____________ their offspring. PROTECT, NURTURE
23. The Giant Pacific Octopus shown is over ____ meters long. 4
24. The Giant Pacific Octopus is carrying _____________ eggs. FERTILIZED
25. Although the female octopus laid _________________eggs, only a ________ will survive to adulthood.
100,000, few
26. What happens to the female octopus after her eggs hatch?
SHE DIES.
27. How does the female poison arrow frog care for her tadpoles?
ANSWERS WILL VARY.
28. How does she feed her tadpoles once she places them in the bromeliad pool?
ANSWERS WILL VARY. EX) SHE FEEDS THEM UNFERTILIZED EGGS.
29. What happens to the baby penguin that ventures off alone?
ANSWERS WILL VARY.
30. In the end, overcoming life’s challenges, whether finding enough to ________ or outwitting your
____________, is only significant if life’s final challenge can be met. What is this one ultimate goal?
TO PASS ON THEIR GENES AND ENSURE THE SURVIVAL OF THE NEXT GENERATION.