Question Sheet: Improving the Camel

By Science News Explores

SCIENCE

Before reading:

  1. Where do camels live? 

  2. How do people use camels?

During reading:

  1. Where does the wild Bactrian camel live? 

  2. Explain what the noise and action that Emily saw and heard were? 

  3. What is the “dulla”? 

  4. Where is the National Research Centre on Camel? 

  5. Name the three different breeds of camels at the Bikaner National Research Centre. What are the main qualities and uses of each breed. 

  6. What are the positive and negative qualities of camel milk?

After reading:

  1. What uses might a camel have in the United States? 

  2. Would you ride a camel? Why or why not? 

  3. Is there an animal in the United States that is used as much as the camel in India? If so, which one? How is it used? 

  4. If many domesticated camels exist all over India, why is it important to protect their wild ancestors? 

  5. Milk from cows, sheep, and goats is often drunk as a liquid or eaten in the form of cheese. Why do you think milk from a variety of animals is so healthy for you? 

  6. What advantages do you think a camel has over a car in the desert?

LANGUAGE ARTS

  1. Imagine that you are going on a trip like Emily’s Indian trek. Write your own 1-week travel diary of a journey across India. To make your story more authentic, do some research about where you might want to go and what you would see. 

  2. Many people—from farmers to tourist guides to the makers of purses and sweaters—rely on camels. Imagine that you are one of these people. Write a story about your job, what kind of camels you have, and how you use the animal.

MATHEMATICS

Suppose you are on a camel that can travel 12 miles per hour. You’re taking a 7-day trip, allowing 8 hours to sleep every night and four 30-minute breaks a day. How many miles could you travel? How often would the camel need water if it were summer?