by Eric Braun
“Yeah,” replies Mateo. “It’s ‘the land down under!’”
You have always been interested in Australia. It has some of the world’s most amazing animals, from cuddly-looking koalas to monstrous saltwater crocodiles. You can only imagine what type of amazing creatures lived there in prehistoric times.
“Isn’t Australia mostly desert?” Mateo asks as he follows you. “I bet it didn’t get very cold.”
“I bet it did,” Jayla says “It was the Ice Age. And I bet we’ll see some cool animals on display.”
“Like that one!” you say, pointing toward an animal that looks like a giant kangaroo with a short, stubby snout.
“What about that one?” Mateo says, pointing to another exhibit that appears to be part giant wombat and part hairy hippopotamus.
Then you notice a display of ancient tools off to one side.
“Hey, let’s check that out,” you say to your friends.
You walk over to a glass display case. It is filled with spear tips and ax heads. Most of them look to be made out of stone. Then you notice something odd. A knife that looks like it’s made out of glass sits on top of the case.
“What’s that doing here?” you ask as your friends lean in to see.
You reach over to touch the tool.
“Don’t touch anything!” Jayla calls.
Both she and Mateo reach out to stop you from grabbing the knife. They touch you just as you pick up the mesmerizing object. Suddenly you feel a tingle in your finger. Then a wave of energy washes over you.
One moment you are standing in the museum, surrounded by your classmates. The next, you feel the crunch of dirt under your feet. Glancing around, you are surprised to be in the middle of an enormous desert with mountains lining the distant horizon.
“Whoa, what just happened?” you ask. “It looks like we’re actually in Australia.”
“I think we are,” Jayla responds. “And I think it’s the Ice Age!”
“No way!” Mateo cries. “How do we get back to the museum?”
“We should probably figure that out,” you say.
You and your friends are in a desert, which seems like the best place to be during an ice age. Deserts are warm, you think. But will you be safe here in a wide-open area? Who knows what sort of prehistoric creatures might be roaming about. There is a mountain range off in the distance. You might find shelter there.
To explore the desert, press here.
To head for the mountains, press here.
“Let’s stick around here,” you tell your friends. “We appeared in the desert, so maybe if we stay put, we’ll reappear back at the museum.”
To pass the time, you and your friends look around for water and food. But you don’t have much luck. It is the desert, after all.
Suddenly Mateo shouts, “Hey look!”
You and Jayla spin around to see Mateo pointing at some animals off in the distance. They look like kangaroos, but they are huge. The animals are taller than you. They’re stocky and have stubby snouts. They don’t hop like you would expect a kangaroo to, but they hobble forward on their hind feet.
“I think those are Procoptodon,” Jayla says. “There was one on display in the museum.”
“Do you think they’re hungry?” Mateo asks.
“Don’t worry,” you say. “Kangaroos are herbivores.”
“Even giant ones?” Mateo asks.
“More like prehistoric ones,” Jayla says.
You and your friends watch the Procoptodon herd lumber along. Luckily they don’t seem to notice you. You are amazed to see such animals in real life.
“We really are in Australia during the Ice Age,” you mumble in awe.
“Well, it’s a good thing we’re in a desert,” Mateo says. “At least we won’t freeze here.”
“That’s not necessarily true,” Jayla says. “Not all deserts are hot. What about the Gobi Desert in Asia? It can get freezing cold there at night.”
What Jayla says makes you worry if you made the right decision to stay. When the sun sets, it could get very cold. And you already know that there isn’t any food and water around. Maybe following the Procoptodon would lead you to a water source. But you also remember one of the most important rules if you are lost—stay put! That makes it easier for someone to find you. But who will find you in this situation? A part of you still hopes that by staying here you will somehow end up back in the museum.
To stay put and wait to be found, press here.
To head in the direction of the Procoptodon herd, press here.
You don’t want to be out in the open when night falls. You won’t have any protection from whatever predators might come out then. And you’re pretty sure the temperatures will plummet once the sun sets. This is the Ice Age after all, and the only thing keeping you warm right now is the sun.
“Let’s head for those mountains,” you say. “Maybe we can find shelter there.”
You begin the trek across the desert.
As you are walking, Jayla says, “Did you know that Antarctica is actually a desert?”
“What? No way,” Mateo says. “I thought deserts were hot.”
“It’s not about how hot an area gets,” Jayla explains. “It’s how little moisture it gets.”
“It took thousands of years for Antarctica to get covered in all that ice and snow,” you add.
As you reach the foothills surrounding the mountains, you start walking through a lightly forested area. When you reach a hilltop, you hear an odd noise.
“Look!” Jayla says, pointing downhill.
There you see a couple of large birds. They easily stand taller than you, and they’re stocky enough to weigh more than any of you.
“They look like huge emus,” you say.
“I think they’re Genyornis,” Jayla says. “They’re a type of prehistoric flightless bird. There was a fake one on display at the museum.”
Just then, you hear Mateo’s stomach grumble again.
“Quiet,” you say. “They might hear us.”
“I can’t help it! I’m hungry,” Mateo says.
“I think they’re herbivores,” Jayla says of the birds. “So we shouldn’t be in danger.”
That gives you an idea. Maybe if you watch these birds eat you can figure out what plants are safe for you. At this point, you would eat almost anything.
But the sun is beginning to set. You can feel it getting colder already. Maybe you should keep your focus on finding shelter instead of food.
To focus on finding shelter, press here.
To look for food, press here.
“Don’t you two remember what we learned in the survival class about getting lost?” you ask your friends.
“Yeah, you’re supposed to stay put,” Jayla says. “Or you might get even more lost.”
“Don’t forget the rule of three,” Mateo adds. “We can survive three days without water and three weeks without food.”
“So I guess we should be OK for a little while,” Jayla says.
It is settled. You are going to stay where you are in the hopes of being found. Maybe Mr. Andrist or Rebecca will figure out what happened to you and somehow bring you home.
In the meantime, you do your best to stay calm and comfortable. You spy some dried grass and twigs. You wish you knew how to start a fire.
Once the sun sets, the temperature plummets. It’s not just cold, it’s freezing. You and your friends huddle together for warmth. Your teeth chatter.
You hadn’t expected it to get this cold. That’s when you remember the other part of the rule of three—you can only survive three hours in extreme weather. And that’s about how long you and your friends last before you are overcome by the cold.
THE END
To follow another path during the Ice Age, press her
e.
To learn more about the Ice Age, press here.
You’re pretty sure no one is going to time travel into the past to find you. And the desert could get freezing cold once the sun goes down. It’s best if you find some shelter before evening.
“Let’s follow the Procoptodon,” you tell your friends. “Maybe they’ll lead us to water or somewhere we can find shelter.”
Mateo and Jayla nod in agreement. You are able to keep up with the large animals for a while. But as the desert terrain turns to grasslands, you struggle to keep pace. You lose sight of the giant kangaroos, but Mateo spots other prehistoric animals.
“Hey look!” he shouts. “It’s some of those hairy hippo-like animals.”
“Yeah, Diprotodon,” Jayla adds. “We saw one at the museum.”
“They don’t look like meat-eaters,” you say, as you watch them munching on the brush.
Still, you keep your distance. After all, the Diprotodon are about the size of hippos. You don’t want to make them angry. As you are walking around the herd, you hear them squeal and grunt excitedly. Then they all start running in your direction.
“There must be a predator coming,” Jayla says.
“If it’s prehistoric size, we had better get out of here too!” Mateo says.
You agree with Mateo, but which direction should you run? Do you run away from the danger with the Diprotodon? Or would it be better to get out of their way and head in another direction?
To flee with the Diprotodon, press here.
To flee in a different direction, press here.
You remember reading in a survival book the rule of three. People can survive three hours in extreme weather, three days without water, and three weeks without food. So while you are hungry, you know that food is not your biggest priority. As the sun begins to dip toward the horizon, you feel the chill in the air. Overnight, it will get freezing cold. You need to find shelter.
“Let’s leave the birds alone,” you say to your friends. “We need to find shelter.”
“Yeah, I’m feeling chilled,” Jayla says.
You continue on. The foothills soon turn into mountains. You are partially protected from the wind by the trees. You even think that perhaps you could collect some fallen branches to build a shelter. But then Mateo sees something surprising.
“Look,” Mateo says, pointing toward a cave in the side of the mountain.
Out of the dark cave, you see the soft glow of a fire flickering inside. For a moment you worry about who might be in the cave. But the night’s chill quickly dispels any fear.
“There are people in there,” Jayla whispers.
“Let’s hope they are friendly,” you say as you lead your friends into the cave.
There you find a group of people sitting around a fire and eating. While they seem suspicious of you, they must see that you are cold. They wave you over to join them by the fire.
As you sit down, you notice a familiar-looking knife lying next to the fire. You and your friends exchange knowing glances.
“Its the knife from the museum!” Mateo says.
“Is that what sent us back in time?” Jayla asks.
“There’s only one way to find out,” you say.
You all reach for the knife at the same time. Suddenly the crackling of the fire is replaced by the sounds of your classmates. Instead of sitting in a cave, you find yourself back in the museum.
“We’re back!” Jayla says.
Just then, you all realize that you’re still clutching the knife. Instantly, you drop it. The noise attracts Rebecca’s attention. She walks over and picks up the knife in her gloved hands.
“How did this get here?” she asks. Then she looks at you with a knowing smile. “I’m glad to see it’s still here—and that you are too.”
THE END
To follow another path during the Ice Age, press here.
To learn more about the Ice Age, press here.
“I have an idea,” you tell your friends. “What if we follow the birds and eat whatever they eat?”
“I’d prefer a cheeseburger,” Mateo jokes. “But that’s probably not an option.”
“It’s worth a try,” Jayla says.
The three of you sit quietly and watch the birds. They tear up plants with their powerful beaks. From where you are, you can’t tell what plants exactly they’re eating. But after a bit, they wander away.
You’re about to give up your search for food when you come across a nest hidden in the grass. There is one huge egg in it. You remember seeing an ostrich egg once. This is much bigger than that. And while you are not a fan of raw egg, it will be enough to feed all three of you.
You creep toward the nest. That’s when you hear a loud, threatening squawk. You look around to see one of the birds. It must have stayed behind to protect the nest. The bird rushes toward you before you have a chance to flee. It kicks you hard in the chest. You hear the snap of ribs as you fly through the air. You lose consciousness from the pain, and the bird continues its attack. You never wake again.
THE END
To follow another path during the Ice Age, press here.
To learn more about the Ice Age, press here.
“If they’re running this way to get away from something,” you say, “then we should too.”
You and your friends take off running, but the Diprotodon quickly overtake you. Mateo shouts as he is knocked to the ground by one of the beasts. You stop to help him to his feet. As you yank him up, the grass parts in front of you. You come face to face with what looks like a giant crocodile.
It must be longer than a minivan! you think.
It rushes forward on its long legs. You are not quick enough to escape its crushing jaws.
The Diprotodon herd was fleeing from a Quinkana, a prehistoric crocodile that hunted on land. You just became its next meal.
THE END
To follow another path during the Ice Age, press here.
To learn more about the Ice Age, press here.
You’re pretty sure the Diprotodon can run faster than you. You don’t want to get trampled by them.
“Let’s get out of their way!” you shout to your friends.
You dart to the side of the stampeding herd as the large Diprotodon race past. The speed of the large creatures astonishes you. But they’re not the only speedy animals. Right behind them, you see a large, scaly body on long legs. It has a long snout and a large mouth full of sharp teeth.
“Get down before it sees us,” you call to your friends.
You all duck out of sight in the tall grass just in time.
“That lizard must have been as long as my mom’s minivan,” Mateo says.
“It wasn’t a lizard,” Jayla says. “It was a Quinkana—a crocodile that hunted on land.”
“What if there are more? Let’s get out of here,” you say.
You head in the opposite direction, away from the Quinkana. At one point, you come across a small stream. You follow it and are surprised to come upon a small village of people.
“They must be early native people,” Jayla says.
You watch them from a safe distance. They have shelters, food, and fire—everything that you need to survive.
“Should we approach them?” Jayla asks.
“It’s worth the risk if we want to survive,” you say. “What other options do we have—to keep wandering out here and die of starvation or some horrible animal attack?”
You lead your friends into the village. The people watch suspiciously as you walk over to a fire and sit down next to it. A woman and a man walk over to you. The man looks angry, but the woman puts her arm in front of him as if to calm him down. The woman makes hand gestures to her mouth.
“She wants to know if we’re hungry,” you say.
&n
bsp; “Oh yes!” Mateo says.
You notice then that the man is holding a familiar-looking knife. Satisfied that you mean the people no harm, he sets it down nearby. You and your friends make eye contact.
“Should we touch it?” Jayla asks.
“Maybe the knife is the key to getting back to the museum,” Mateo adds.
“It couldn’t hurt to try,” you say.
The three of you reach out quickly and touch the knife. As you do, you feel a tingle in your fingers, and then a wave of energy washes over you. Suddenly the sounds of the crackling fire are replaced by that of your excited classmates. Instead of sitting next to a fire, you find yourself standing next to the glass case.
“Whoa, we’re back,” Mateo says.
Just then, Rebecca walks up to you and your friends. With gloved hands, she picks up the tool sitting on top of the case.
“I’ve been looking for that,” she says. “This quartz knife is one of those special artifacts I was talking about.”
Rebecca winks at you as she walks away.
THE END
To follow another path during the Ice Age, press here.
To learn more about the Ice Age, press here.
CHAPTER 5
THE ICE AGES
Earth’s climate naturally goes through cycles of warm and cool periods. Scientists are not exactly sure why. It could be caused by changes in Earth’s movement around the sun or changes in the sun itself. Large meteorite impacts, volcanic activity, and animal activity are other possible causes. There have been times in Earth’s past when it has been so warm that the polar ice caps melted. There have also been times when it has been so cold that much of the planet was covered in ice and snow.
An extended period in which temperatures drop is known as an ice age. During ice ages, snow might not melt because summers are cooler, and glaciers expand to cover large areas of land.
