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Fact Monster: Leap Days, Capitals, and More

Students in grades 4 to 8 build research skills and cultural literacy as they learn about a wide variety of topics.

Thanks to the folks at Fact Monster for partnering with EducationWorld.com to bring you this fun and educational activity.

Answer Key for This Hunt
Hunt #30
1. 365 1/4 days (or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds); 2. the place where the dinosaur was found; 3. the White House; 4. Roald Amundsen; 5. soft metal; 6. percussion; 7. Rome; 8. Indian Ocean; 9. accept responses between 2-1/4 to 3-1/4 pounds; 10. Olympia.

This Hunt's Questions
1 . Every four years, a "leap day" is added to our calendar to account for the fact that Earth does not travel around the Sun in exactly 24 hours. How long does it actually take for the Earth to travel around the Sun?
2. Scientists usually name dinosaurs after a body feature, a person involved in the discovery, or a third characteristic. What is that third characteristic?
3. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy swayed Congress to declare one Washington, D.C., landmark as a national museum. What landmark was that?
4. Which explorer was the first to reach the South Pole? Circle that explorer's name: Robert Falcon Scott - Roald Amundsen - Robert Edwin Peary
5. Is gold considered a soft metal or a hard metal?
6. The glockenspiel is a musical instrument made of steel bars. To what family of instruments does it belong? Circle that family of instruments below: brass - percussion - strings - woodwinds
7. The toga was commonly worn by citizens of what ancient city?
8. In December 2004, a tsunami caused heavy damage in Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. In which ocean did that tsunami occur? Circle that ocean below: Atlantic Ocean - Indian Ocean - Pacific Ocean
9. An elephant's brain weighs more than 8 pounds. How many pounds does an adult human's brain weigh?
10. In 2001, an earthquake cracked the capitol dome in the state of Washington. In which city is Washington's state capital located?