Wolves Packet

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Wolves Booklet:
Print out the pages ONE-SIDED and fold each paper in half. Staple or
bind along the left-hand side.
There are TWO options for the booklet.
Wolves Booklet (with tracing):
If you have younger kids, you can
choose the booklet that has descriptions
already written. Students can color the
first page. They can trace the words
within the booklet.
NOTE: There are four options for the
first page 1/2 and two options for the
last page 13/14 (in pounds or kg). You
can choose between a front page that kids can color or a front page with photos. On the
first page, you can emphasize some of the places wolves live (Mexico, North Pole, etc.)
or the habitats wolves live in (forest, mountains, tundra, etc.).
Wolves Research and Writing Booklet:
For older students, print out the option with the questions on each page. Students can
write in their own answers after reading books from the library or doing some research on
the internet. There are also blank research pages at the end of this packet if that works
better.

In the question section: What adaptations help wolves find food? Students might write
about the wolves’ keen sense of smell and that they use their eyes and ears to find prey.
Also, their jaws are very powerful and their teeth help them tear flesh. Why do wolves
mate for life? Students might write about how this helps to keep the wolf population
down and helps keep social order in the wolf pack.
There are interactive notebook/lapook pieces included in this packet:

There are also some blank writing pages included:

If you have younger kids, there are some wolf and letter w activities at the very end of the packet.
Wolves
Wolves generally live in the northern
hemisphere. They can be found in forests,
grasslands, mountains and the Arctic
tundra.
By

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The Arctic wolf lives in the

North Pole regions.
The gray wolf lives in much of
North America.
The Mexican wolf lives in
Mexico.
The Eurasian wolf lives in
much of Europe and Russia.
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Wolves
Wolves live in many places in the
Northern Hemisphere.
By

____________________________________

They can be found in many habitats:

forests,
grasslands,
mountains,
deserts, and the
Arctic tundra.
©homeschoolden.com 2
Wolves
Wolves generally live in the northern
hemisphere. They can be found in forests,
grasslands, swamps, mountains, Arctic
tundra and deserts.

By

____________________________________
The Arctic wolf lives in the
North Pole region.
The gray wolf lives in much of
North America.
The Mexican wolf lives in
Mexico.
The Eurasian wolf lives in
much of Europe and Russia.
©homeschoolden.com 2
Wolves
Wolves live in many places in the
Northern Hemisphere.

By

____________________________________
They can be found in many habitats:

forests,
grasslands,
mountains,
deserts, and the
Arctic tundra.
©homeschoolden.com 2
 Wolves are the largest members of the
Canidae family – also known as
Our pet dogs are also relatives of
the wolf.
canines. Some other
members of this family include

red foxes
coyotes
jackals
African wild dogs
Can you name some common dog breeds?
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dingoes ___________________ ___________________
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Wolves are carnivores, which packs.
Wolves live in families called

means they eat only meat. These packs can contain as few as 2 or
3 to more than 20 wolves. A pack
includes a male and female wolf, their
young, and some close relatives.

They have strong jaws and 42

teeth for tearing, chewing and
grinding.

Four of the teeth are used to grip an Usually, members of the same pack are
animal when they catch it. These are friendly with each other. They hunt,
called canine teeth. You also have eat and play together.
canine teeth!

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Wolves hunt both on their own and in packs. A wolf pack’s territory
can cover as
much as 500 square miles (1295 square
A single wolf will hunt on its own for small
km). They mark their boundaries by
prey including mice, rabbits, squirrels,
howling and by scent-marking with their
beavers, ducks, geese and even fish.
urine. This warns other wolf packs to stay
away.

Wolves also hunt larger game in packs. They

have brought down large animals such as
Wolves are built for endurance and
deer speed. They can travel many miles
without getting tired and can often run
elk faster than their prey.
moose
caribou
musk ox
bison When the prey tires and slows, the wolves
and big horn sheep. work together to bring it down.
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The wolf pack’s leaders are called the
alpha male and alpha female.
They always eat first at every meal. The
average wolf will eat up to 2.5 pounds of
meat, but during the breeding season, this
number will go up to 5 pounds a day.
Wolves can each eat 20 pounds (9 kg) of
meat (which is about 150 hot dogs!)
While some of the adult wolves are out
hunting, others will stay behind to babysit
the pups. When they return, the adult
wolves will bring up some of the food they
have eaten and feed it to the pups.
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Wolves often mate for life. The alpha
female is the only female in a pack to give
birth to a litter of pups.
Shortly before giving birth, a pregnant
female will seek out or dig out a den .
Dens may be a deep riverbank hollow, a
cleft between rocks, a hollow log, a space
under an upturned tree or a space under a
rock overhang.
Sometimes wolves will use abandoned dens
of other animals, such as bear dens or a
beaver dam. The den is 4 to 18 feet long
with a chamber measuring about 20 inches
high by 50 inches wide by 40 inches deep.
No bedding is added to the den.
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Wolf pups (also called wolf cubs) are When they are six months old, they are
born in the spring. There can be 3 to l4 almost as big as adult wolves. They are
strong enough and old enough to start
pups in a litter. When they are born, hunting with the pack.
they cannot see or hear. They
nuzzle up to their mother to drink milk
and stay warm.
The Alpha male is very protective of
the den. He will often act as adecoy,
leading predators away from the den.

When the wolf pups are about three When wolves are about 2 years old ,
weeks old, they are allowed out of their some will stay with the pack while others
den to romp and play. will leave to find mates and start
new packs.

©homeschoolden.com 12
11
Two hundred years ago there were
thousands of wolves across the Northern
hemisphere.
Wolves were feared and vilified, even in
stories! Over the years, wolves were
hunted, trapped and poisoned. Some
people thought wolves should be
eradicated for the threat they posed to
valuable livestock.
By the 1950s, the gray wolf had been
almost wiped out.
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In the 1960s, scientists began to better
understand ecosystems. In 1973, Congress
gave gray wolves protection under the
Endangered Species Act.
In 1995 and 1996, researchers in
Yellowstone National Park released
31 Canadian gray wolves back into the
wild.
As of 2015, an estimated 528 wolves
resided in the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem. As of January 2020, there
were 8 wolf packs in the park.
©homeschoolden.com 14
 Fun Facts! Wolves
*Female wolves weigh 60 to 80 pounds. Male
wolves weigh 70 to 110 pounds. Males have
larger shoulders that stand out from their
bodies. The males’ necks are more muscular
with thicker fur.
*Wolves live up to 13 years in the wild.
*Wolves can sprint 36 to 38 miles
per hour for short distances.
*Wolves prey on injured, sick, old, young and
genetically inferior elk, moose, and deer,
allowing the healthy individuals to breed and
continue their species. What I learned about wolves:
*Wolves help feed other animals in the __________________________________
ecosystem. Carrion feeders and other __________________________________
scavengers such as eagles, bears and crows
eat the remains left by wolves.
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 Fun Facts! Wolves
*Female wolves weigh 27 to 36 kg. Male
wolves weigh 31 to 50 kg. Males have larger
shoulders that stand out from their bodies.
The males’ necks are more muscular with
thicker fur.
*Wolves live up to 13 years in the wild.
*Wolves can sprint 57 to 61 km
per hour for short distances.
*Wolves prey on injured, sick, old, young and
genetically inferior elk, moose, and deer,
allowing the healthy individuals to breed and What I learned about wolves:
continue their species.
*Wolves help feed other animals in the
__________________________________
ecosystem. Carrion feeders and other __________________________________
scavengers such as eagles, bears and crows __________________________________
eat the remains left by wolves. __________________________________
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Wolves
Where do wolves live? What kind of
habitats do wolves live in?
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By ________________________________________

____________________________________

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Wolves
Where do wolves live? What kind of
habitats do wolves live in?
________________________________________
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By

____________________________________

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Wolves are the members of the Canidae
family. What other animals are part of the
Canidae family?
______________________
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How are wolves different from other
members of this family?
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Red wolf --- Coyote
Dogs are also relatives of the wolf. How
many dog breeds can you name?
________________ _______________
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Wolves are carnivores. Explain what a
carnivore is. What adaptations help
wolves find food?
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Describe the structure and hierarchy of the
wolf pack.
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What do wolves eat? How large is a wolf pack’s territory? How
________________________________ do they mark and protect it?
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________________________________
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________________________________ Describe how wolves hunt their prey:

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How much do wolves eat?
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How do wolves feed their young?
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Why do wolves mate for life?
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How do wolves prepare for their young?
How many wolf pups are in a litter? How
do they raise their young?
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When do wolf cubs start hunting with the
pack?
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How long do wolf pups stay with their
pack?
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Why did wolves almost go extinct?
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How are wolves beneficial to the
ecosystem? What did we learn when
wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone
National Park?
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Fun Facts about Wolves!
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The Wolves keep Yellowstone in Balance infographic has great facts about what happened when wolves almost disappeared from the ecosystem
• Elk populations exploded
• Scavenger species suffered
• Beavers Virtually disappeared
And the how the ecosystem became more balanced once the wolf was re-introduced.
Currently the Wolves keep Yellowstone in Balance infographic is available as a pdf here
• https://earthjustice.org/documents/reference/pdf/infographic-wolves-keep-yellowstone-in-balance
or can be viewed at these two websites (I included two since sometimes links break):
• https://earthjustice.org/features/infographic-wolves-keep-yellowstone-in-the-balance
• http://www.wolfmatters.org/uploads/2/4/0/2/24020064/8ec5952d30112a6cdeb2e9501a0f6b3f.jpg?770
There are also several picture books that explain how the ecosystem improved with the re-introduction of the wolf:
When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature's Balance in Yellowstone (Beautiful photographs)
The Wolves Are Back (Beautiful paintings by landscape artist Wendell Minor. There is also a similar book by this author called The Buffalo Are
Back)
Bringing Back the Wolves: How a Predator Restored an Ecosystem
By: __________________
Wolves Lapbook/Interactive Notebook Pieces
Here is what the inside & outside flaps of the interactive lapbook pieces look like when completed. They can be
placed in any order. You can fold a manilla envelope or paste them onto construction paper. You can also have
students add them to a page in their science notebook.
Wolves Lapbook/Interactive Notebook Pieces
Cut the pieces below and
Fold these flaps over the words:
glue them to the front.

small
game

What do wolves eat?

elk

moose
caribou
and other big
game.
Cut out the piece below and
glue it to the front.

What is a group
of wolves called?

How many
wolf
a wolf
species are
3 Gray wolf
Red wolf
Ethiopian Wolf
pack
But there are
there?
40 subspecies
©homeschoolden.com
 African domestic
coyote fox jackal wild dog dingo dogs
The wolf is the largest member
of the Canidae family, also
known as canines. What other
animals are in this family?
How many teeth
the Northern do wolves have?
Hemisphere
Where do wolves
live? 42
Adults humans
have 32
teeth.
©homeschoolden.com
Wolf pups are born in a
den, an underground
chamber dug out or
found by its alpha
parents.

Wolves are born small and blind, How can you tell a male
so they need a warm, dry place
to live. Once they are around 3- from a female wolf?
4 weeks old, they are allowed
out to play and explore.

Size: A male wolf is often larger than a

Where do wolves
This is the
female wolf.
outside.
Neck: The male’s neck is more muscular
raise their young? and has thicker fur.
Shoulders: The male has larger shoulders
that stand out from the body. The
female’s shoulders do not stand out.
This is the Males have a penis.
inside.

How fast can 36-38 miles

wolves run? per hour
57-61 km
per hour
When are
wolves most Wolves are considered
active? crepuscular in activity,
which means on average
they are most active around This is the
dawn and dusk, although
inside.
they may be active any
time of the day or night.
©homeschoolden.com
 What is the difference between
a wolf and a coyote?

A gray wolf can stand 2.5 A coyote is smaller standing 1.5 feet
feet (76 cm) tall and be 5-6 tall (45 cm) and 4 feet long and
feet long (152-182 cm); they weigh 20-50 pounds (9-22 kg).
can weigh 80-120 pounds Coyotes have a small snout.
(36-54 kg). Coyotes have tall pointed ears.
Wolves have a broad snout. Coyotes make high-
Wolves have round ears. pitched howls, barks,
Wolves have a lower and yelps.
howl, whine, and bark.

Wolves howl to communicate

across vast distances. A howl can
communicate a wolf's location,
warnings about predators, and
the position of prey.

These are inside pieces.

Why do wolves howl? Wolves howl after making a kill
for a few reasons. One of the
reasons is to warn other wolves
away from the kill site.

The average wolf will eat How much do This is the

Wolves can each eat 20 pounds
(9 kg) of meat
up to 2.5 pounds of meat. wolves eat? outside.
They require about 5
(which is about 150 hot dogs!)
pounds of meat to
reproduce successfully.
©homeschoolden.com
 How long do
wolves live?
6-8
years
in the
wild The gray (or grey) wolf is
the most common type of
wolf. It is sometimes
called the timber wolf.
This is the The Arctic wolf is a
inside. subspecies of gray wolf.

What is the
most common
This is the
outside.

type of wolf?
Wolves have a great sense of
smell…

A wolf’s sense of smell is known to be 100

times stronger than that of humans. It is not uncommon for territories to be
Wolves can smell prey 1 ½ miles (2.5 km) as large as 50 square miles (130 sq km)
away! Each nostril can be moved independently, but they may even extend up to 1,000
allowing wolves to determine which direction a square miles (2590 sq km) in areas
where prey is scarce.
particular scent is coming from.
These are inside pieces.
A wolf's nose alerts them to danger, the presence
of pack members or enemies, female wolves in heat
and prey. Each wolf has distinctive scent glands on How big is a wolf pack’s
different parts of their body so smells unique, at
least to other canines. Wolves identity their territory
territories through scent and attack any enemies or
trespassers who are passing their grounds. ?

©homeschoolden.com This is the

outside.
 Fold here. This is the inside.

Pack life
Wolves have become one of the most highly ensures the care and feeding of the
social of all carnivores. Every animal knows its young, and allows wolves to defend
place in that order. In most wolf packs, there their common territory. Wolves
will be an alpha male and female – the leaders live in packs because cooperation
of the pack. Often, wolf packs will have an allows them to bring down
omega male and female (the lowest ranking, but larger prey.
instigates play and relieves stress within the
pack & to help care for young, etc.).

Cut and glue to the front.

Describe the
social Are dogs related to
structure of
wolves?
a wolf pack.

Cut and glue to the front.

The dog, Canis familiaris,

Dogs are generally smaller than wolves, have is a direct descendent of the gray wolf, Canis
shorter muzzles and smaller teeth. Wolves have lupus. The wolf has sharper vision, hearing and
pointed ears and a long tail, whereas many dogs smell than the domestic dog. Wolves and dogs
have floppy ears and curly or short tails. share 99.9% of their DNA.

Fold here.

This is the inside.

©homeschoolden.com
 Wolves

By: __________________

©homeschoolden.com
 Name: _____________________________

Wolves
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 Name: _____________________________

Wolves
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©homeschoolden.com
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 Name: _____________________________

Wolves
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 Name: _____________________________

Wolves
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 Name: _____________________________

Wolves

©homeschoolden.com
 Name: _____________________________

Wolves

©homeschoolden.com
W
Name: _____________________________

Words that start with W.

wolf
watch
web
walrus
whale
wagon
worm
watermelon

WwWwWwWwWwWwWw
©homeschoolden.com
 Name: ___________________________
What begins with W? Color in all the words that start with a W!

WwWwWwWwWwWwWw
©homeschoolden.com
 Name: ___________________________

Find and trace the letter W or w below!

w E d u W i w a Y b
O AW m M N n G D w
j l t w C h a W w R
VW z X T q K S U p
f x M P ZW V o N H
b Q w y e B R W J M
g m s v V w F X l i
W I Z w L n w r k w
Circle all the W’s in the jokes below:

What do you call a wolf that you have trouble finding?

A where wolf
What do you call a wolf that is very conscious of his
surroundings?
Aware wolf.
©homeschoolden.com
 Name: _____________________________

Find and color these animals:

wolf owl
deer hedgehog
bat fox
©homeschoolden.com
You might also be interested in some of our other packets:
These are just some of the packets we have available!
These are just some of the packets we have available!