If computer access in the classroom is limited, students can work in groups or shifts, or activities can be assigned as homework. You are also welcome to print and photocopy the activities. Why . . . Use the web activity to get them thinking about which areas of the body are involved with running fast. Compared to other cats, the cheetahs' legs are especially long and slender in proportion to their body.
Longer limbs mean longer strides, and longer strides mean greater speed.
Cheetahs even run on their toes, which gives their overall leg length yet another inch or so. Another adaptation that contributes to a long stride length is the cheetahs' shoulder blades. In people, the shoulder blade, or scapula, is attached to the collar bone, or clavicle, which makes it an immobile fixture from which our arms swing. Instead, the shoulder blade swivels back and forth along with the cheetahs' legs. Cheetahs also have very flexible spines.