Why do koalas hug trees? To cool off! Scientists saw that koalas always hug acacia trees, even though they eat eucalyptus tree leaves. The acacia tree trunks are up to 9 degrees cooler than the air around them. As the weather gets hotter, the koalas slide farther down to thicker parts of the trunk, which are cooler. So it turns out the cuddliest bears are also the coolest.
Lace up: The shape of a tree trunk is called a cylinder. Can you think of anything else with the same cylinder shape?
Jog: If a koala hugs you with all 4 legs, and you hug back with your 2 arms, how many hugging limbs are there in total?
Sprint: If a koala has nibbled on 8 eucalyptus trees, what numbers are the next 2 trees it nibbles?
Hurdle: If a koala climbs 28 feet up a tree, then slides halfway down for fun, how high off the ground is the koala now?
High Jump: Scientists study a lot of animals to look for patterns. If they studied 84 koalas and all but a quarter of them hugged trees, how many treehuggers were there?
Answers:
Lace up: Items could include a pencil, a roll of paper towels, or a hot dog!
Jog: 6 limbs (arms/legs).
Sprint: 9 and 10.
Hurdle: 14 feet.
High Jump: 63 koalas, because 21 of them didn’t hug.
