Compiled by Elaine Gallagher 

Teachers:  Place one of these questions each day on the board or on a poster.  Have children guess the answers, or look up the answers, or ask someone at home the answers.  Some items, the students will know immediately.  Others, they may have to ask at home and tell you the next day.

OBJECTIVE: To stimulate curiosity and to encourage children to be challenged with various «trivia» questions.  They love them! 

 1. All living things are divided into categories or kingdoms. Two  kingdoms are plants and animals.  Let’s look at the animal kingdom. Animals are divided into two types: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (13 spaces) and        _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (11 spaces). What are they?

Invertebrates, which are animals that do not have a backbone / spine, such as a worm, and vertebrates, which are animals that DO have a backbone, such as a human, or a dog.

2. How many figs are in the circle?

            (NOTE TO TEACHER: draw a circle around these letters, keeping the letters organized the way I have them here.)

                                               f          f          f

                                               r           i         g

                                               g          g         g

ANSWER: ONE ( There is only one i to spell fig.)

3. How many fruits are hidden in this line of 25 letters?

                        figfruitspeachtomatorange

ANSWER: four (fig, fruits, peach, and either tomato or orange).  There is only one O, so you use the O to end tomato, or to begin orange…but not both.

4. One type of invertebrate is a common insect.  Some people say it has 100 legs…..(It really does NOT have that many legs…but they look like they do.) What is it called?

A centipede ….Centi  means 100; ped means foot.

EXTRA: Then see if you can find a picture of a centipede in the Internet or a book.  Draw one…or draw 100 as a group project: «100 centipedes».

5. Here are some clues about a few invertebrates.  Can you guess what they are?  Look up their pictures in a book or Internet if you have time.

• A honey of an invertebrate………..?  a honey bee 
• Always a lady………………………….?  a ladybug
• Likes to chirp at night……………….?  a cricket
• An uninvited picnic guest………….?  an ant

6. What is the largest land animal in the world? It is a vertebrate…a mammal:

 ANSWER: An elephant

7. Mystery Vertebrates:  Name the vertebrates from the clues given:

• Flies, sonar, large ears for the size of its body…… a bat
• King of the jungle, appeared in the book and the movie «The Wizard of Oz»…… a lion
• Hops, has a pouch for its babies, lives in Australia…… a kangaroo

8. What is the largest mammal on Earth? (Remember: all mammals have a backbone, so they are vertebrates.)

ANSWER: A whale

9. What does this mean?  Can you find a pattern to the numbers?

                        2 – 15 – 14 – 5 – 19

ANSWER: These numbers spell BONES. The numbers correspond to the letters of the alphabet….Letter # 2 is B, an so on…

10. Which bone protects the brain?   C _ _ _ _ _ _

ANSWER: The cranium

11. What is the largest bone in the human body?         The     _  _  m _  _

ANSWER:     the femur (which is in the leg… sometimes it’s called the thigh bone.)

12. Name two important sporting events that are popular in Mexico and in Spain.

ANSWER: bullfighting and soccer (football)

13. Which vertebrate animal has many sharp quills which can stick to enemies that try to attack this animal.  What is it? Can you draw a picture of one?

ANSWER: A porcupine

14. How would you like to receive a check for 5000 dollars from a fictitious company called Seedmore Brothers? All you have to do is name three different fruits/vegetables that might be ingredients for their new product: ABC Healthy Punch.

The name of each fruit or vegetable must begin with the letters,

a, b, or c.  You may not use apple, apricot, berry, or cherry.

By the way, the fruit punch tastes terrible!

A________________  B________________ C______________

ANSWER: One possibility is A- avocado, B- bean,  C-cucumber

Your students may come up with other words.

15. What famous explorer from Italy started a great age of exploration and conquest for Spain?

ANSWER:  Christopher Columbus from Italy…In 1492, when Spain was still powerful, Columbus led Spain to the New World. It was almost 100 years later (1588) that Spain’s armada, the navy, was defeated by England.

16. What item should you have with you if you go camping?  It helps you find directions and points to the NORTH.  After you guess its name, draw a picture of one showing the 4 main directions on the Earth.

ANSWER: A compass

17. What vertebrate animal lives near water and uses its large, sharp teeth to cut down small trees?  It uses the wood from the trees to build a lodge (its house) by the water.

ANSWER: A beaver

18. What is a pelican? What is the most unique thing about a pelican? Can you draw its picture?

ANSWER:  It is a large, usually white, bird.  It’s bill is very large, about 18 inches (1/2 meter) long.  The bill is used to catch fish to eat.

19. What does the word goober mean? (It is an English word, not another language.)

ANSWER: GOOBER is another word for PEANUT.

20. What vertebrate, a mammal, always is ready to take a long trip or journey ?

ANSWER: An elephant, because it always has its trunk.  (A TRUNK is a very large suitcase, used to pack things for a long trip.)

NOW, TEACHERS, FIND MORE IN THE INTERNET OR BOOKS OF TRIVIA FACTS.  STUDENTS LOVE TO HAVE THESE CHALLENGES!