A Beaver Dam, Line by Line
Readers follow diagram labels to learn how branches and mud work together in a beaver dam.
Play the quiz as a gameA beaver builds a dam across a stream. The dam slows the water. Water pools behind it. But water can slip through spaces in the dam. How does a beaver fill those spaces?
A diagram can show us. A diagram is a drawing that shows parts. The heading on this diagram is "Parts of a Dam." It tells what the drawing is about.
Look at the label "branches." A label names a part. A line from this label points to the long sticks in the dam. The branches help hold the dam together.
Now find the label "mud." Its line points to the soft, wet soil packed between the branches. The mud fills small gaps. A gap is an open space. This helps keep more water behind the dam.
The caption below the diagram says, "A dam helps make a pond." A caption tells about a picture. Read the heading first. Then follow the lines from the labels to find each part.