Pages 20–21 Reread the pages. If you needed to look at something very, very small, which tool might you use? Why?
SPOTLIGHT ON LANGUAGE The term far-fetched is an idiom meaning “difficult to believe” or “unlikely to be true.” Invite a discussion by asking campers what the author means when he refers to the mosquito hurting the blue whale as far-fetched.
Possible responses: You would use a microscope because it is a tool that enlarges the image of small things. Page 23 Reread the page. What is a mosquito’s unique weapon? How could a mosquito hurt a blue whale? Possible responses: Mosquitoes can inject dangerous diseases into the animals or people they bite. A mosquito could carry a virus, bite a blue whale, and make it sick. Page 26 Reread the page. How do viruses make living things sick? Possible responses: A virus invades, or gets into, a healthy cell in a living thing. It makes the cell infected or sick. Pages 29–31 Reread the pages. On page 29, the author says that the blue whale wins by killing hundreds of mosquitoes. Why didn’t the author end the book here? Possible responses: The author wanted to show that even if all those mosquitoes were killed, one mosquito could still bite the blue whale, give it a virus, and make it sick. Page 32 Reread the page. Why do you think the author writes as if the blue whale and mosquito are in a battle? Possible responses: The author wants to make the information interesting for readers. The author compares two animals that are unalike in many ways to make readers curious to know which animal would win. Explore More If time allows, continue the discussion with these additional prompts. What was the most surprising fact you learned? What other two animals would you like to see compared in this way?
Leader’s Guide • Lesson 20 | 147
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