K-2 Brainworks April 2016

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Gregor Mendel was able to show the principles of heredity. Explain in your own words what that means.
How did Mendel discover that there are dominant and recessive traits?
Gregor Mendel is known as:
What are some cool things about you that are determined by your genetics?
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Kidsville News! Brainworks Worksheet
April Enrichment Activities
Grades K-2
Czech Horse Breeds
Answer Key
WHERE DID THESE HORSES ORIGINATE?
A. United States
B. Africa
C. Czech Republic
D. South America
WHY ARE THEY RARE?
WHICH CHARACTERISTIC IS NOT
TRUE OF THE CZECH HORSES?
A. They are either gray or black.
A. Because people wanted to keep
them all as pets.
B. Average horses are measured as
around 15 hands high (5ft).
B. The horses were used for their
manes.
C. They can run faster than other
horses.
C. They ran into the wild.
D. The breed was almost
destroyed by the Seven Years
War and the other conflicts
that affected the Czech
Republic — like the World
Wars.
D. Modern Kladrubers measure between
15 and 17 hands high, which is smaller
than their original size
WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE?
A. They are known for being
powerful and calm and for
having great endurance.
B. They are only two colors
C. They are only found in another country.
D. They are only for famous people.
The Nation’s Favorite Fun Family Newspaper
Kidsville News! Brainworks Worksheet
April Enrichment Activities
Grades K-2
Cultural Connections
Czech Glass
The Czech Republic is well-known for its high-quality glass. The natural resources in Ore, Jizera, the
Lusatian Mountains, the Giant Mountains, the Forest Maintains and Moravia in the northern part of
the country provided everything glass makers needed to thrive.
Draw the natural resources found in these areas used to make glass:
What made Czech glass special?
What is common to see from the Czech Republic?
Locate the Czech Republic on the map and discuss with your
class the relation of where this country is located compared to the
United States.
The Nation’s Favorite Fun Family Newspaper
Kidsville News! Brainworks Worksheet
April Enrichment Activities
Grades K-2
Answer Key
Gregor Mendel was able to show the principles of heredity. Explain in your own words what that means.
He was able to show that there are dominant and recessive traits that are passed from parents to offspring.
How did Mendel discover that there are dominant and recessive traits?
It was through experiments in this garden at the monastery that Mendel discovered the basic principles of heredity. He used
pea plants to show that certain inheritable traits in pea plants follow a pattern. He did this by cross-fertilizing pea plants with
opposite traits (he mixed tall with short, smooth with wrinkled, etc.)
Gregor Mendel is known as: the father of modern genetics.
What are some cool things about you that are determined by your genetic?
Answers will vary but could include hair and eye color, male/female, height.
The Nation’s Favorite Fun Family Newspaper
Kidsville News! Brainworks Worksheet
April Enrichment Activities
Grades K-2
Czech Horse Breeds
Answer
AnswerKey
Key
WHERE DID THESE HORSES ORIGINATE?
A. United States
B. Africa
C. Czech Republic
D. South America
WHY ARE THEY RARE?
WHICH CHARACTERISTIC IS NOT
TRUE OF THE CZECH HORSES?
A. They are either gray or black.
A. Because people wanted to keep
them all as pets.
B. Average horses are measured as
around 15 hands high (5ft).
B. The horses were used for their
manes.
C. They can run faster than other
horses.
C. They ran into the wild.
D. Modern Kladrubers measure between
15 and 17 hands high, which is smaller
than their original size
WHAT MAKES THEM UNIQUE?
A. They are known for being
powerful and calm and for
having great endurance.
B. They are only two colors
C. They are only found in another country.
D. They are only for famous people.
D. The breed was almost
destroyed by the Seven Years
War and the other conflicts
that affected the Czech
Republic — like the World
Wars.
The Nation’s Favorite Fun Family Newspaper
Kidsville News! Brainworks Worksheet
April Enrichment Activities
Grades K-2
Cultural Connections
Czech Glass
Answer Key
The Czech Republic is well-known for its high-quality glass. The natural resources in Ore, Jizera,
the Lusatian Mountains, the Giant Mountains, the Forest Maintains and Moravia in the northern
part of the country provided everything glass makers needed to thrive.
Draw the natural resources found in these areas used to make glass:
• plenty of trees to use as fuel for the furnaces
• ashes from the furnaces were mixed with chalk (limestone)
• silica (sand and quartz) melted to make glass
What made Czech glass special?
• the potash (ashes from the furnace) that they used
What is common to see from the Czech Republic?
• brightly colored glass and intricately carved items as well as hand-painted glass and sculptural items
Locate the Czech Republic on the map and discuss with your
class the relation of where this country is located compared to the
United States.