Cheetahs

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the physical characteristics of cheetahs.

• Students will be able to identify the behavioral characteristics of cheetahs.

• Students will be able to explain how cheetahs live socially and how they communicate with each other.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension worksheet passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Cheetahs are considered the fastest cats on Earth. They are actually sprinters and can only run for short distances, but they reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour and can cover more than 20 feet in one stride. Cheetahs are long and lean animals. They sprint for about 20 seconds at a time. While they are running, cheetahs are in the air more than half the time. Their sharp claws function almost like sports cleats, giving them a lot of traction so they can pick up speed quickly and make long strides. Their amazing speed over short distances allows cheetahs to catch prey that larger cats like tigers and lions, are not fast enough to get. Cheetahs feed on gazelles, impalas and antelopes as well as some smaller mammals and birds. Once they catch their prey, cheetahs eat it quickly before any other animal can come and take it from them.

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