THE NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE, by Sarah K., Mr.Maciolek's Classroom, Fourth Grade

Look out! Stampede! Get ready to board the learning train. As we travel you will hear about the body, habitat, and the diet of the North American Moose.Ouch, these things are pointy! I think they’re antlers. In this paragraph you are going about the moose body. Also you might want to bring a first aid kit so if you hurt, there are band aids.

First of all I’m going to tell you about the flap of skin hanging from the moose neck. It is called a bell, or if you like, “due lap” better, you can say that. It is also a flap of skin and muscle. Wow!, I think that is odd how it is shaped and how it is hanging from its neck. Do you know how you check your weight? Well in case you don’t know, a moose could weigh up to 5 times as much as you or it could even weigh heavier than that. The average weight of a moose is 1,800 pounds, which is really heavy and could squish me in 3 seconds flat. Hmmm, my shoulder span is about 1 foot. That’s odd! I thought it would be longer. Speaking of that, the moose shoulder span is 1.5 – 2 meters in length. That’s really long. Antlers have soft velvet like texture that covers the entire surface of the antler. When the antlers stop growing, the velvet dies. The moose then scrapes the velvet like fur off by rubbing and scraping the antlers on bushes. Also, do you know that under the velvet, the antlers are white. The antlers then become brown when the blood on the antlers and the color of the bush touch.

Be very quiet so we don’t startle the moose. Crunch, crack, snap! Hey, who was that? Sorry about the noise! Now see that over there? That’s the moose habitat, AKA, its home. We are going to learn about it now. One place a moose lives is in the mountains. The air is thin and the breeze is cool. This is a way to escape from predators and avoid being eaten by bears and wolves. Also the moose can travel up hill faster than people, so their chance of being shot is less. Another thing about the moose living in the mountains is that the breeze keeps the flies away from any part of the moose and helps prevent the moose from over heating.

Look over there by the stream! See the moose walking to that bush? The moose will sit near the bush by the stream and will use the trees and bushes as protection. Also the moose will have a way to escape from their hungry predators. AHHHH! Forest bushes are hard to walk through. Stop and look over there. The moose is lying on a pile of leaves in a small open area. This area is just perfect for the moose to relax without being seen. It is protected by the trunks of tree surrounding the area. The forest is a perfect ideal habitat to the moose to live. Disgusting! This mud looks like, like, well disgusting! The moose is over there drinking the swamp water. This muddy, sticky area is just great for the moose, because the moose can move quickly in the mud. As for the other animals, they tend to stay away because they may get stuck in the mud and the moose will then have a chance of escaping without getting hurt, or even killed.

Chop! Chop! Look, there is a moose feasting on some red raspberries. That reminds me, we need to talk about the diet of a moose. One food source is the Grey Leaf Willow. The leave and bark of this tree are both tasty treats for the moose. The leaves are eaten during spring, summer, and fall seasons, and the bark is eaten during the winters. Watch out! The moose could be eating on the other side of that prickly rose bush. The only way the moose can eat the prickly rose is by pushing the prickles into its cheek. See that small red berry? That is the Lowbrush Cranberry. It is located near the ground and it’s low. That is why it is called the Lowbrush Cranberry. Finally, the last type of food that I will tell you about is the Service Berry. This berry provides energy for the moose for an entire day. I think it is called the Service Berry because it helps the moose.

Alright. During our safari today we have been learning about the North American Moose, its habitat, body, and diet. Now it is time to rap this up and get ready for the next groups presentation on the North American Moose.