Instructions
Read each story problem, inspired by the incredible journeys of animals. Solve the math problem in the space provided. Show your work!
The Monarch's Miles
1. A monarch butterfly can fly about 55 miles in one day. If its migration south lasts for 30 days, how many miles will it fly in total?
2. The total migration journey for a group of monarch butterflies is 3,000 miles. If a butterfly has already flown 1,850 miles, how many miles does it still have to fly?
Wildebeest Herds
3. A giant herd of 2,400 wildebeest needs to cross a river. If they cross in safe groups of 8 to avoid crocodiles, how many groups will there be?
4. One group of migrating wildebeest has 1,752 animals. Another nearby group has 2,135 animals. If the two groups join together, how many wildebeest are there in total?
Whale of a Journey
5. A gray whale's round-trip migration is about 12,000 miles. If the entire journey takes 6 months, how many miles does the whale travel each month on average?
6. A baby gray whale is called a calf and weighs about 2,000 pounds at birth. If it gains 7 pounds an hour, how many pounds will it gain in one full day (24 hours)?
Arctic Tern Travels
7. The Arctic tern has the longest migration! It flies about 44,000 miles each year. A gray whale swims about 12,000 miles. How many more miles does the Arctic tern fly than the gray whale?
8. An Arctic tern lives for about 30 years. If it flies 44,000 miles each year, how many miles might it fly in its entire lifetime? (This is a huge number!)
Answer Key
- 1,650 miles (55 miles/day * 30 days)
- 1,150 miles (3,000 miles - 1,850 miles)
- 300 groups (2,400 wildebeest / 8 per group)
- 3,887 wildebeest (1,752 + 2,135)
- 2,000 miles per month (12,000 miles / 6 months)
- 168 pounds (7 pounds/hour * 24 hours)
- 32,000 more miles (44,000 miles - 12,000 miles)
- 1,320,000 miles (44,000 miles/year * 30 years)