Marsupials: Kangaroos

Contributor: Samantha Penna. Lesson ID: 11430

Have you ever played hopscotch or jumped rope? Do you think you could hop or jump to everywhere you go? Jump right in and watch some fun videos, and read (and write!) about these colorful kangaroos!

1To2Hour
categories

Life Science

subject
Science
learning style
Kinesthetic, Visual
personality style
Lion
Grade Level
Intermediate (3-5)
Lesson Type
Quick Query

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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  • Have you ever seen a kangaroo at the zoo?
  • How do kangaroos move around?

kangaroo jumping

  • Did you say kangaroos jump?

Great!

In the previous Related Lesson of our Marsupials series, found in the right-hand sidebar, you learned about the characteristics marsupials share.

kangaroo with joey

All kangaroos are marsupials. This means they have underdeveloped babies that have to live in their pouch. Kangaroos are mammals.

  • Do you know what a mammal is?

That's right! Mammals are warm-blooded animals that have fur or hair on their bodies. Mammals have live babies that they feed milk.

One amazing thing about kangaroos, which sets them apart from many other animals, is that they jump nearly everywhere they go! Their extremely powerful hind legs allow them to jump from one place to another.

  • Did you know some kangaroos can leap as far as thirty feet?

That's quite a leap!

  • How far can you jump?

Measure how far you can jump with a tape measure.

Kangaroos can also travel at speeds up to thirty miles per hour! Their powerful hind legs allow them to jump great distances and travel quickly. If a kangaroo wants to move more slowly, it uses its tail and forelimbs (arms) to crawl.

jumping kangaroos

All kangaroos are herbivores.

  • Do you know what a herbivore is?

A herbivore is an animal that only eats plants. Kangaroos spend much of their time grazing. Their diet is mostly grasses. Sometimes, kangaroos feed on tasty tree leaves, too.

kangaroo eating

  • Did you know there are four types of kangaroos?

Below, you will see pictures of each type.

  • What similarities and differences do you see?

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The red kangaroo is found all over Australia, but it is usually found in the vast grasslands and deserts.

Red kangaroo mothers only have one joey baby at a time. This little joey will seek shelter in its mother's pouch for about eight months.

When the joey is about three months old, it will be big enough to leave the pouch to feed on grass and explore, but it will continue to go back and forth from its mother's pouch for about eight months.

Check out the pictures below of red kangaroos.

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Eastern grey kangaroos are found in Australia and Tasmania. They live among the trees in the forests and in the open grasslands.

Eastern grey kangaroo mothers only have one baby at a time. The joeys will finally emerge from the pouch when they are two months old. They will return to their mother's pouch for safety until they are around ten or eleven months old.

Take a look at the eastern grey kangaroos shown below.

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Western grey kangaroos are found in western and southern Australia. They graze in grasslands and enjoy the shade of forests.

Western grey kangaroos only have one baby at a time. The joey stays in the pouch for about eight months and will no longer return when it is about ten months old.

Look at the pictures of the western grey kangaroos below.

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The antilopine kangaroo is found in northern Australia. On hot, sunny days, it relaxes in the forests and grazes in Australia's grasslands.

Antilopine kangaroos have only one baby at a time. The joey will stay in its mother's pouch until it is six months old. It won't be completely independent from the pouch until it is about eight months old.

Look at the antilopine kangaroos below:

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Watch this fantastic video to learn some cool facts about kangaroos! While watching the video, write or draw your answers to the questions below.

  • Where can kangaroos be found?
  • What are groups of kangaroos called?
  • How tall are kangaroos?
  • How far can kangaroos leap?
  • What are baby kangaroos called?

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Compare your answers to those below.

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After reviewing your answers, jump over to the Got It? section.

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