Summary
The brothers try to build a vehicle faster than a cheetah — and lose. Using cheetah creature power they feel how every feature of the cheetah's body, from its flexible spine and enlarged heart to its semi-retractable claws and long muscular tail, is an engineering marvel optimized for explosive speed.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
The cheetah can sprint from 0 to 70 mph in just three seconds — but a hunt lasts less than a minute before the cheetah overheats.
- Name three features of a cheetah's body that help it run fast. What does each one do?
- The cheetah is the fastest land animal, but a lion is stronger. How does each big cat use its different body for hunting?
- Why do you think a cheetah's speed burst is so short? What limits it?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: adaptation, spine, stride, semi-retractable, streamlined.
Try it: Draw a cheetah and label at least three features (flexible spine, long tail, narrow waist, large nostrils, claws). Write one sentence for each explaining how it helps the cheetah run.