Use these questions to check students’ understanding and stimulate discussion:

1. What is the dung beetle’s favorite food?
(poop)

2. What does the dung beetle do when it sniffs poop?
(It packs the poop into a ball and rolls it home.)

3. How does the tricky plant fool the dung beetle?
(Answers will vary.)

4. How does the dung beetle end up helping the plant?
(Answers will vary.)

Go online to print or project the Reading Checkpoint.

Materials: Pencils, markers, copies of the skill sheet.

Overview: Students invent and draw a seed that will trick an animal into moving it to a better spot to grow.

Directions:

1. Remind students that the silver arrowreed plant produces seeds that trick the dung beetle into dispersing, or spreading them. Plants need help moving their seeds to spots that are sunny and not crowded so they grow into healthy new plants.
2. Give each student a copy of the skill sheet. Pass out pencils and markers. It is time to invent!
3. How will their seed attract the attention of an animal that will pick it up or roll it somewhere new? Which of the animal’s senses will it appeal to—sight, smell, touch, taste, or some combination?
4. What will the animal think it is getting when it picks up this seed?
5. How does the seed trick the animal into believing that?
6. After students have come up with their tricky seed plots, have them draw the tricky seeds on the skill sheets. Animals, watch out!