keep wild animals wild: wonderfully wild!...ages 5–7 animal action education keep wild animals...

IntroductionUnit Instructional GoalBy the end of the unit, students will be able to answer the essential questions:

• Whatdoesitmeantobewild?

• Howdoweliverespectfullyalongsidewildlife?

Prepare for the Unit• Manyteachersandstudentsliketodevelopgroundrules

withintheirclassroomstopromotepositivelistening,respect,andsensitivitytodifferentpointsofview.Seepage11intheProgramOverviewforagroundrulesactivity.

• Youmaywanttodoapre-andpost-assessmentofyourstudents’knowledgeaboutwildanimalsandhowtolivealongsidethemrespectfully.Seepages13–15intheProgramOverviewforassessments.

• InLesson7,youwillbetakingyourstudentsonawalkingtriparoundtheneighborhoodtoviewwildlife.Chooseadateforyourexcursionandsendoutpermissionforms.Organizeparentvolunteerstogowithyou.

• Youmaywanttotakephotosofthestudentsandtheirworkthroughouttheunit.Thesecouldbeputtogethertomakeaslideshowforparentsandstudentstoenjoyoncetheunitisfinished.

• Foradditionalresourcesandonlineinteractiveactivitiesforstudentsgotowww.ifaw.org/keep-wild-animals-wild.

Keep Wild Animals Wild: Wonderfully Wild!

Animal Action Education©IFAW2015

Ages 5–7 UnitLesson Plans

Ages 5–7

2AnimalActionEducation KeepWildAnimalsWild:LessonPlans

Materialschart paper, sticky notesTime50 minutesSubject AreasELA, Science, Math

OverviewThislessonintroducestheessentialquestionsoftheunit:Whatdoesitmeantobewild?andHowdoweliverespectfullyalongsidewildlife?Asanintroduction,studentswillthinkaboutanddiscusswildanddomestic(notwild)animals.Theywillconsiderwhetherparticularanimalsarewildornotwild,andtheywilldoasortingactivitytoreflecttheirunderstanding.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillhelpstudentsbegintounderstandhowwildanimalsaredifferentfromdomesticanimals.

Lesson ObjectivesStudentswill:

• Begintodefineanimalsaseither“wild”or“notwild.”

Introduce Lesson Target QuestionWritethetargetquestionontheboardandreaditaloudtostudents.

Explainthatasstudentsworkthroughthislesson,theywillthinkaboutthisquestion.Attheendofthelesson,theywilldiscusstheirthoughtsaboutthequestion.

Introduce “Wild” and “Not Wild” Animals1. Explaintostudentsthattheyaregoingtoreadamagazine

aboutwildanimals.Theywillalsoviewavideoabouttheseanimals.Explainthatinthisunittheywillexplorequestionsaboutwhatitmeansforananimaltobewildandhowpeoplecanliverespectfullyalongsidewildanimals.

Lesson 1: Introducing the Unit

2. Havestudentstakeaminutetothinkaboutwhatthewordswild andnot wildmean.Thenhavethemturnandtalkwithapartneraboutwhattheythinkthewordsmean.Askpartnerstosharetheirideas.Notestudents’responsestogetasenseofwhattheydoanddon’tunderstandaboutanimalsthatarewildandanimalsthatarenotwild.

Activity: Sorting Animals1. Createalargechartontheboardwiththeheadings“Wild”

and“NotWild.”Writethenameofadifferentanimalonseveralstickynotes—forexample,lion,horse,elephant,hedgehog,lizard,turtle,chicken,cow,etc.

2. Readthenameofeachanimalandaskstudentstotalkwithapartnertodecideiftheythinktheanimaliswildornotwild.Allowabouthalfaminuteforchildrentotalkabouttheanimal.Thendiscussthesequestionswiththeclass.

• This sticky note says “elephant.” Should we put an elephant in the wild or not wild column?

• Why do you think an elephant is wild?• Why do you think an elephant is not wild?

3. Placethestickynoteinthecolumnaccordingtowhatthemajorityofstudentsthink.Ifstudentsdonotagree,placethestickynoteinthecolumnthathasthemostsupportfromstudents,butaddaquestionmarktothestickynote.

• We don’t all agree about whether [animal’sname] is wild or not. We will come back and look at this animal again after we have read and talked more about wild animals. We might decide to place the animal in a different column.

4. Repeatwiththerestofthestickynotes.

5. Dependingonthelevelofyourstudents,youmaywanttochooseanimalsthatcanbebothwildandnotwild,suchasducks.

• Do you think ducks are wild or not wild? Why? Somestudentsmaythinkaboutdomesticspeciesofducks

theyseebeingraisedonafarmandsayducksarenotwild,whileotherstudentsmaythinkaboutwildduckspeciesandreasonthatducksarewild.

6. Revisitthetargetquestion:Whatdoesitmeantobewild?Remindstudentsthattheywilllearnmoreaboutwhatitmeanstobewildinthisunit.

What does it mean to be wild?

Ages 5–7


Preview/View the Video 1. Tellstudentsthattheywillbewatchingavideoaboutwild

animals,whattheyneedtolive,andhowpeoplecansharetheworldwiththem.Askstudents:

• What kinds of things do you think you will see in this video?• What do you think wild animals need to live?

2. Thestudentswillviewthevideotwice,onceuninterruptedandoncewithpausesfordiscussion.Forthefirstviewing,tellstudentstopaycloseattentiontothewildanimalsandwhatitmeansforthemtobewild.

3. Playchapter1forthestudents.NOTE:Chapters2and3ofthevideocoverwildlifetrade,asubjectthatisbeyondthescopeofthisunit.

Discuss the Video 1. Tellstudentsthattheywillviewthevideoagain,butthistime

youwillstopthevideoatcertainplacessotheycantalkaboutit.

2. Stopthevideoatthefollowingminutesandaskstudentstorespondtothequestionsbelow:

• 1:10–1:19(afterthescenethatshowsthelioncub):The lion cub in the video looks like a cute kitten, but how is it different?

• 7:00–7:12(afterthescenethatasksaboutwhetherbirdsandtigerswouldmakegoodpets):Would these animals make good pets? Would an elephant make a good pet? Why or why not? Haveoneortwostudentsrespond.Let’s see what might happen with an elephant pet.

• 7:55–8:22(afterthescenewiththeanimationofthechildbehavingpoorlytowardstheanimals):Does this look safe for the animal? Does it look safe for the child? What do you think?

3. Revisitthetargetquestion:Howcanwetreatwildanimalswithrespect?

• Let’s think about our target question. What are some ways you saw people treating wild animals respectfully in the video? What are some ways we can treat wild animals with respect?

Lesson 2: Keep Wild Animals Wild Video

OverviewStudentswillwatchchapter1oftheKeep Wild Animals Wildvideo,whichgivesanoverviewofthedifferencesbetweenwildanddomesticanimals,explainsthatwildanimalsareadaptedtoliveinthewild,anddiscusseshowpeoplecansharetheirworldwithwildanimals.Studentswillbeginexploringadaptationsandhabitatbyfocusingonthegreeniguanashowninthevideo.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillreinforcetheconceptthatsomeanimalsarewildandsomearenotandbuildunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobewild.


• Buildcuriosityaboutwildanimals.• Begintolisttheconditionsthatwildanimalsneed

tosurvive.• Distinguishbetweenharmfulandhelpfulhuman

behaviorstowardswildanimals.• Begintodemonstratethewillingnesstotreatwildanimals

withrespect.

Introduce Lesson Target QuestionWritethetargetquestionontheboardandreaditwithstudents.

Explainthatasstudentsworkthroughthislesson,theywillthinkaboutthisquestion.Attheendofthelesson,theywillsharetheirthoughtsonthequestion.

Materialsvideo, crayons or colored pencils, Worksheet 1: Meet a Green Iguana Time50 minutesSubject AreasELA, Science

How can we treat wild animals with respect?

4Animal Action Education Keep Wild Animals Wild: Lesson Plans

Activity: A Green Iguana’s Natural Home1. GivestudentsWorksheet 1: Meet a Green Iguana.

Remindstudentsofthesceneinthevideoaboutthegreeniguanaandreviewminutes5:40–6:55ofthevideoifnecessary.Askthefollowingquestionsandliststudentresponsesontheboard:

• What does the green iguana’s natural home look like? What things does the iguana need where he lives? (trees,leaves,flowers,fruit,water)

• Where does the green iguana get his food? Where does he sleep? Where else does he go? (findsleaves,flowersandfruitintrees;sleepsinthetreetops;sometimesjumpsintothewaterandswims)

2. Tellstudentstodrawandcolortheiguana’shomeontheirworksheet,includingallthethingstheyknowtheiguananeedstolive.Theymayalsocolortheiguana.

3. Whenfinished,askthestudentstosharetheirdrawings.Thendiscussthegreeniguana’sadaptationsandhabitat:

• What body parts help the iguana live in his natural home?(clawstoclimb;longtailforbalance;tailandspinesfordefense;sharpteethtoeatleaves,flowersandfruit)

• What would happen to the green iguana if he lived somewhere without trees?(Students’responsesmayvary,butremindstudentsthatiguanasusetreesforshelter,food,sleeping,andkeepingwarm.)

• What would happen if he lived somewhere without trees and water?(Greeniguanaswouldlosetheirsourceoffoodandshelterandplacetoescape[water].)

Lesson 2 (continued)

5AnimalActionEducation KeepWildAnimalsWild:StudentWorksheet

Worksheet 1: Meet a Green IguanaName:______________________________________________________Date:_________________________

Directions:Drawandcolorthegreeniguanainhisnaturalhome.

Ages 5–7


MaterialsStudent Magazine, video, chart from Lesson 1, drawing paper, markers/crayons/paintsTime60 minutes core lesson; 20 minutes extension activitySubject AreasELA, Science

thempreviewthemagazinebyfirstlookingatthetableofcontents.Readaloudthenamesofthearticlesandstoriesandhavestudentsreadalongwithyouiftheycan.

• What kinds of things do you think we will read about in this magazine?

• Tellstudentsthattodaytheywillreadthearticle“BorntoBeWild.”Askthemwhatpagethearticlebeginsonandhavethemturntothatpage.

• Let’s look at the pictures in this article. What do you see in the large pictures on page 3?(lioncubandpetkitten)Which animal do you think is wild? (lioncub)

• What does the chart on page 4 show us? (animalsthatarewildandanimalsthatarenotwild)

• Look at the words in bold on page 3:domesticandwildanimals.These words are in the glossary at the back of the magazine. Let’s turn to the glossary on page 18 and read the definitions together.

2. Showstudentsminutes1:14–3:04inthevideothattalkaboutwhatmakeswildanimalsdifferentfrom

domesticanimalsandwhatwildanimalsneed.Before we read, let’s go back and look at what we learned from the video.

• What does the video tell us about wild animals and domestic animals?

• The heading on page 5 says, “What do wild animals need?” What did you learn about what wild animals need from watching the video?

• Let’s read this article and see what it says about being wild. Let’s see whether the information is the same as we learned in the video.

NOTE:Ifitisnotpossibletoviewthevideo,helpstudentsrecallwhattheysawinthissegmentofthevideo.

Read Havestudentsreadthearticle.Somestudentswillbeabletoreadthearticleindependently.Otherstudentsmaybenefitfromreadingthearticlewithapartner.Youmaywanttoreadthearticletobeginningreadersastheyfollowalong.

Discuss 1. Havestudentslookatthechartonpage4.

• What animals are wild? What makes them wild? (Wildanimalstakecareofthemselves.)

Lesson 3: Born to Be Wild

OverviewStudentswillpreviewtheStudentMagazineandread,orfollowalongwith,thearticle“BorntoBeWild.”Studentswilldiscusshowwildani-malsmeettheirneedscomparedtohowdomesticanimalsmeettheirneeds.Toextendthelesson,stu-dentsmaydrawandlabelanillus-trationshowinghowalion’sneedsaremet.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillhelpstudentsunderstandthatforwildani-malstosurvive,theymustmeettheirownneedsfromthewild.


• Understandtheconditionsthatanimals,wildanddomestic,needtosurvive.

• Understandthatthedifferencebetweenwildanddomesticanimalsishowtheanimalsmeettheseneeds.

• Begintodescribethephysical,social,andbehavioralrequirementsnecessaryforwildanimalstothrive.


Explainthatastheyworkthroughthislesson,theywillthinkaboutthisquestion.Attheendofthelesson,theywilldiscusstheirthoughtsaboutthequestion.

Preview the Magazine and Article1. GiveeachstudentacopyoftheStudentMagazine.Have

Why do wild animals belong in the wild?


• What animals are domestic or not wild? What makes them domestic? (Domesticanimalshavelivedwithpeopleforsolongthattheyhavechanged.Theyneedpeopletotakecareofthem.Providetheexampleofwolveslivingclosetopeopleandoverthousandsofyearsbecomingdomesticateddogs.)

• Look back at the bottom of page 3. Which sentence gives important information that the video tells us too?(Wildanimalstakecareofthemselves.)

NOTE:Somestudentsmayaskaboutferalanimals.Explainthataferalanimalisadomesticatedanimalthatsurvivesinawildstatebutisstillconsidereddomestic.Feralanimalsstilldependonhumansforfoodandsheltersotheyusuallylivenearpeople.

2. Havestudentsusethechartonpage5tocomparehowwildanddomesticanimalsmeettheirneeds.• Look at the chart on page 5. Let’s compare the needs of wild

animals and domestic animals and how these needs are met. • How do wild animals get shelter? How do domestic animals

get shelter?• How do wild animals get food? How do domestic animals

get food?• How do wild animals get water? How do domestic animals

Lesson 3 Extension: “What a Lion Needs” DrawingHavestudentsapplywhattheylearnedaboutwildanimals’needsbydrawingapictureshowingwhatalionneedsinordertosurvive.Askstudentstodrawalioninthecenteroftheirpaper.Ifnecessary,rereadthechartonpage5withstudents.Useleadingquestionstohelpthemthinkaboutandthendrawandlabelwhatalionneedsinordertolive.

• What things do lions need to survive?(food,water,shelter,space)

• Where do lions get their food? Draw a picture that shows what a lion eats.(Guidestudentstodrawotheranimalsthatalionwouldhunt—forexample,buffalo,antelope,etc.Havestudentslabelthefoodsourceordictatetoyouasyouwriteitforthem.)

• Lions need water to drink. Where do lions get their water? (Guidestudentstodrawawateringhole.Havestudentslabelthewatersourceordictatetoyouasyouwriteitforthem.)

• Lions need a place to rest or get out of the hot sun. Where do you think they get shelter? Draw a picture of it.(Guidestudentstodrawtallgrassoratree.Havestudentslabeltheshelterordictatetoyouasyouwriteitforthem.)

• What else do animals need? Show the space where lions live and can roam.

• Where does the lion find all of the things you have just drawn?

get water?• How do wild animals get space? How do domestic animals

get space?3. Directstudents’attentiontothecharttheymadein

Lesson1.Discusstheplacementofeachanimalonthechart.

• Let’s look at the chart we made in a previous lesson. Did we say an elephant is wild or not wild? Let’s think about how elephants get their needs met. Where do elephants get shelter? Where do elephants get food? How do they get water? Space?

• Is an elephant wild or domesticated? After you have watched the video and read this article, do we need to move the sticky note to a different column?

4. Explorethediagramofatiger’sspecialfeaturesonpage7.

• Wild animals’ bodies help them survive in the wild. What do the picture and labels on page 7 tell us?(howthepartsofatiger’sbodyhelpthetigersurvive)

• How does a tiger’s tail help the tiger survive?• How do a tiger’s padded paws help the tiger survive?

5. Revisitthetargetquestion:Whydowildanimalsbelonginthewild?

• Let’s think about our target question. How would you answer this question?


Ages 5–7


MaterialsStudent Magazine, drawing paper, markers/crayons/paints, video (optional)Time50 minutes core lesson and activity; 20 minutes extension activitySubject AreasELA, Social Studies

Lesson 4: Meet a Wildlife Vet

Read Havestudentsreadtheprofile.Somestudentswillbeabletoreadtheprofileindependently.Otherstudentsmaybenefitfromreadingwithapartner.Youmaywanttoreadtheprofiletobeginningreadersastheyfollowalong.

Discuss Usethefollowingquestionpromptstohavestudentsdiscusstheprofile.

• Look at the second paragraph. What does the text say is different about treating pets and treating wild animals? (Vetscanpetcatsordogstocalmthem,buttheycan’tdothiswithwildanimals.)

• Why do you think Ian says he needs to work quickly when dealing with wild animals?(Wildanimalsareafraidofpeople,sohewantstogetthescarysituationoverquicklyforthem.)

• What does Ian say is the best part of his job?(releasinganimalsbackintothewild)Why do you think he says this?(Heknowswildanimalsbelonginthewild,andhelovestoseethembackwheretheybelong.)

Activity: Role-Play1. Havestudentsengageinarole-playshowinghowawildlife

veterinariantreatswildanimals.Ifyourstudentshavehadexperiencewithtakingapettothevet,havethemthinkaboutthefollowingquestionsbeforetheyparticipateintherole-play.

•How do you get your pet to the vet?•How does your pet feel when you take him or her to the vet?•How do you comfort your pet when you are with the vet?•Who else might be in the room with you and your pet?

•What are some reasons people might take their pets to the vet?2. Nexthavestudentsimaginetheyhavetotakeawildanimal

toawildlifevet.Havethemconsiderthingssuchas:

•What animal is the veterinarian treating?• Why is the animal being treated by the veterinarian?

(hitbycar,gunshotwound,sick,etc.)•Where is the veterinarian treating the animal? • What in this environment would be frightening to a wild

animal?(brightlights,people,voices,strangesoundsandsmells)

•How can the vet make the experience less scary for the animal?

OverviewStudentswillreadaprofileofawildlifeveterinarianandlearnwhattheroleentails.Theywillrole-playaveterinarianworkingwithwildanimals.Toextendthelesson,studentsmaydrawapictureofawildlifevetreleasingananimalintothewild.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillhelpstudentsunderstandhowcaringforwildanimalsisdifferentfromcaringfordomesticanimals.


• Participateinadiscussionabouttheroleofawildlifeveterinarian.

• Demonstrateanunderstandingofthedifferenceinhowwildanimalsanddomesticanimalsaregiventreatment.


Explainthatastheyworkthroughthislesson,theywillthinkaboutthisquestion.Attheendofthelesson,theywilldiscusstheirthoughtsaboutthequestion.

PreviewGiveeachstudentacopyoftheStudentMagazine.Havethemturntotheprofileofthewildlifeveterinarianonpage 8.Readthetitleandhavestudentspreviewthephotographs.Askstudents:

• What do you think a veterinarian does?• How do you think caring for sick or hurt wild animals

is different from caring for sick or hurt pets?

How is caring for wild animals different from caring for domestic animals?


3. Placestudentsintogroupsofthree.Onestudentcanrole-playthevet,onecanrole-playthewildanimal,andonecanplayapersonwhoalertedthevettothewildanimal’sproblem.Haveeachgroupprepareashortrole-playtopresenttotheclass.

4. Afterstudentshavepresentedtheirrole-plays,havethempointoutthemajordifferencesbetweencaringforawildanimalcomparedtocaringforapet.Studentsmightmentionthingssuchas:nottalkingwhenworkingwithawildanimal,workingquickly,tryingnottohandletheanimal,turningofflights,movingotherpeopleaway,etc.

5. Revisitthetargetquestion:Howiscaringforwildanimalsdifferentfromcaringfordomesticanimals?

• Think about the target question. How would you answer this question?

Lesson 4 Extension: Draw the Release of a Wild Animal1. AskstudentsiftheyrememberwhatIan,thewildlife

veterinarian,saidwasthebestpartofhisjob(releasingthewildanimalbacktowheretheanimalbelongs…inthewild).

2. Havestudentsdrawapictureofawildanimalbeingreleasedbackintothewildafterhehasbeentreatedbyawildlifevet.Tellstudentstobepreparedtoexplaintheirdrawingtotheirclassmates.

3. Youmaywanttoshowstudentsminutes8:40–9:40.ofthevideoasthewildanimalisreleased

intothewild.


Ages 5–7


MaterialsStudent Magazine, chart paper, sentence starters (see below)Time50 minutes core lesson and activity; 20 minutes extension activitySubject AreasELA, Science

aboutthesequestions.Attheendofthelesson,theywilldiscusstheirthoughtsaboutthesequestions.

Preview1. GiveeachstudentacopyoftheStudentMagazine.Have

themturntothepoemonpage9.

• What kind of text is this?• What do you think the two kinds of cats are that we will read

about in the poem?2. Callattentiontohowthepoemislaidoutinverses.Tell

studentsthattheboldtexttellsthemtheyshouldreadthewordsmoreforcefully.Explainthatthewordsarenotneatlylaidoutinsentenceslikeinastoryoranarticle.

Read 1. Readaloudthepoemasstudentslistenandfollowalong.

Modelreadingwithexpression,varyingthespeedandrhythmofyourreadingtomatchthetextcues.

2. Readaloudthepoemagain,thistimehavingstudentsreaditwithyou.

Discuss Encouragediscussiontohelpstudentsunderstandthethemeofthepoem.

• What are the two cats in the poem? (petkitten,tiger)• What are some things that a cat and a tiger have in common?

(whiskers,tails,sharpteeth,claws,bothslinkandcreep)• What is different about the way kittens and tigers eat?

(Peoplefeedkittens;tigerskilltheirpreytogetfood.)• What is different about the places kittens and tigers like?

(Kittenslovepeople’slaps,softrestingplaces;tigersloveforests,creeks,spacetoroam.)

• Callattentiontothelinewherethewordsruntogether. Can we read this in a way that sounds a bit like a cat purring? Readthelinewithstudents.Why do you think the poet wrote the line this way? (toemphasizethedifferencebetweenkittensandtigers—kittensareloving,wecanholdthemclose)

• What message do you think the poet wants us to understand after reading this poem?(Kittensarepetsbuttigersarewild;tigersneedtoliveinthewild.)

• What do you think are ways we can respect wild animals?(Weshouldrespecttigersbykeepingourdistancefromthemandlettingthembewildandfree.)

OverviewStudentswillreadapoemcomparingdomesticcatsandtigers.TheywilluseaVenndiagramtomakecomparisonsandrelatetheirfindingstotheessentialquestions.Toextendthelesson,studentsmayusethepoemasamodeltowritetheirownpoemorsong.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillhelpstudentsunderstandthedifferencebetweenwildanimalsanddomesticanimalsandtoappreciatehowwecanliverespectfullyalongsidewildlife.


• Interpretinformationpresentedthroughapoem.• Identifythethemeofapoem.• Understandthedifferencebetweenhowwildanimals

anddomesticanimalsmeettheirneeds.• Compareandcontrastthedifferentphysical,social,

andbehavioralrequirementsnecessaryforatigerandadomesticcattothrive.

• Distinguishbetweenharmfulandhelpfulhumanbehaviorstowardstigersandcats.

• Distinguishbetweenpositivelyinteractingwithcatsupcloseandenjoyingtigersfromasafeandrespectfuldistance.

Introduce Lesson Target Questions

Writethelessontargetquestionsontheboardandreadthemaloudtostudents.

Explainthatasstudentsworkthroughthislesson,theywillthink

How are wild tigers and domestic cats the same and different? How do we show our love for them?

Lesson 5: Two Kinds of Cats


Activity: Venn Diagram1. HavestudentscompleteaVenndiagramanduseinformation

fromthepoemtocompareandcontrastkittensandtigers.OnesideoftheVenndiagramliststhecharacteristicsofkittens;theothersideliststhecharacteristicsoftigers.Theoverlappingpartinthemiddlelistscharacteristicsofbothkittensandtigers.YoumaywanttocreatetheVenndiagramwithstudentsasawholegrouptosupportthem.

Kittensfriendly

sitonourlap

canbemanycolors

peoplefeedthem

lovesoftplaces

attackpaperbags

getup-closelove

Both

whiskers

longtail

claws

sharpteeth

creepandpounce

Tigerswild

uniformcolorofblack/orange

killpreytogetfood

lovewildspaces

attackwildpigs,deer

roamformiles

peoplelovethemfromadistance

Lesson 5 Extension: Write a Poem or Song1. Explaintostudentsthatingroupsoftwoorthree

theywillwritetheirownpoemormakeupasongthatcomparesawildanimalandadomesticone—forexample,adomesticdogandawolf.

2. Discussthestructureofthepoemwiththemandhavestudentsnoticehowonelinetalksaboutakittenandthenextlinetalksaboutthetiger.Explainthattheywillusethepoemasamodeltowritetheirownpoemorsong.Providesentencestartersthatcanhelpthem,suchastheseexamplesforcomparingdogsandwolves.

3. Beforestudentsbeginworkingontheirpoemorsong,brainstormsomedifferencesbetweendogsandwolves,usingsimilartopicsfromthepoem:howthetwoanimalslook,thingstheylove,whattheyeat,etc.Recordstudents’ideasonchartpaperforthemtouseastheywrite.

4. Foryoungerchildren,createthepoemorsongasagroupactivity.Askstudentstohelpyoudecideonthewordstouse.Ifstudentschoosetodoasong,theycouldaddpercussion,dancesteps,ormotions.

Dogsare_____They_____Wolvesare_____They_____

Dogslove_____Wolveslove_____

2. HavestudentslookatthecompletedVenndiagram.Ask:

• Look at the information we have written on the Venn diagram. How do we know a tiger is wild?

• How can we best love tigers?3. AftercompletingtheVenndiagram,callattention

tothetargetquestions:Howarewildtigersanddomesticcatsthesameanddifferent?Howdoweshowourloveforthem?

• Think about the target questions. How would you answer these questions?


Ages 5–7


MaterialsStudent Magazine, card or chart paper, drawing paper, markers/crayons/paints, video Time50 minutes core lesson and activity; 30 minutes extension activitySubject AreasELA, Science, Social Studies

OverviewStudentswillreadafantasystoryandrelatethethemeofthestorytotheunit’sessentialquestions.Studentswillrespondtostatementsaboutpetsby“votingwiththeirfeet.”Toextendthelesson,studentswilldrawtheirownmythicalwildcreature.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillreinforcetheideathatwildanimalsbelonginthewildandthatpeoplecannotadequatelyprovidefortheirneeds.


• Identifyanddescribestoryelements.• Understandthestorytheme:Itisbetterforwildanimals

andpeopleifwildanimalsliveinthewild.• Distinguishbetweenharmfulandhelpfulhuman

behaviorstowardswildanimals.• Considerthenaturalbehaviorsandneedsofwild

animals.• Indicateanawarenessofthe“feelings”ofwildanimals.• Exploremultipleperspectivesonhowtoliverespectfully

alongsidewildlife.


Explainthatasstudentsworkthroughthislesson,theywillthinkaboutthisquestion.Attheendofthelesson,theywilldiscusstheirthoughtsaboutthequestion.


themturntothestoryonpage10.

• What is the girl in the picture doing?• What animal do you see?Readaloudthetitleandpage10

asstudentsfollowalong.• What do you think might happen in this story?

Read Havestudentsreadtherestofthestory.Somestudentswillbeabletoreadthestoryindependently.Otherstudentsmaybene-fitfromreadingwithapartner.Youmaywanttoreadthestorytobeginningreadersastheyfollowalong.

Discuss 1. Encouragediscussiontohelpstudentsunderstandstory

elementsandthethemeofthestory.

• Who are the characters in this story?(Daisy,babydragon)• Where is the setting of the story?(amake-believeforestnear

acastle)• How does Daisy try to take care of the baby dragon? (tries

togivethedragonfood,findthingsforthedragontoplaywith,givethedragonabath,findaplaceforthedragontosleep)

• Why don’t the things Daisy tries to do work? (Thedragoniswild,notapet.Hedoesn’trespondtothingsthesamewayadomesticdogorcatwould.)

• How is the problem of the baby dragon solved?(Thedragonmamacomesandtakeshimbacktothewild.)

• Why does the text say “And Daisy was very happy to wave good-bye”?(Itwastoohardforhertotakecareofawildanimal.)

• What do you think Daisy learned from her experience with the dragon?(Dragonsarebetterofflivinginthewild.)

• What do you think the author of this story might say to someone who has a wild animal as a pet?(Possibleanswer:Wildanimalsarenotpetsandshouldbeinthewild.)

• What do you think the vet Ian Robinson would say?(Possibleanswer:Wildanimalsbelonginthewild.)

2. Showstudentsminutes7:12–7:45inthevideo.Askthemtocomparewhathappenedwiththeanimated

elephantinthevideoandthedragoninthestory.

• How are the message of this part of the video and the message of the story the same?


Lesson 6: Daisy and the Dragon

Why should wild animals live in the wild?


Activity: Vote with Your Feet!1. Writethewordsyesandnoonlargepiecesofcardorchart

paper.Tapethepaperwiththewordyesinonecorneroftheroomandthepaperwiththewordnoinanother.

2. Tellstudentstheywillvotewiththeirfeetandhavethechancetoconvinceotherstoagreewiththem.

3. Readtheagree/disagreestatementstostudentsoneatatime,andhavethemwalktothe“yes”corneriftheyagreewiththestatementandtothe“no”corneriftheydisagree.Callonstudentstoexplainwhytheythinkthewaytheydo.Allowstudentstomoveiftheyareconvincedtochangetheirposition.Thenreadthenextstatement.

Agree/Disagree Statements• Thebestplaceforawildanimalisinthewild.• Wildanimalswouldlikeitifpeoplepettedthem.• Wildanimalsdonotneedpeopletofeedthem.• Atigercouldbetamedandbejustlikeakitten.

4. Afterstudentshavecompletedtheactivity,callattentiontothetargetquestion:Whyshouldwild

animalsliveinthewild?


Lesson 6 Extension: Wild Creature Drawings1. Discusswithstudentswhattheyhavelearnedinthis

unitaboutwildanimalsandhowtheyareadaptedtoliveinthewild.

2. Havestudentsdrawtheirownfantasywildanimalinthecreature’shabitat.Theyshouldlabeltheircreature’sbodyparts,highlightinghowthebodypartshelpthecreaturefindfood,water,shelter,orspaceinthewild.

3. Allowstudentstopresentthedrawingsoftheircreaturesandexplainwhytheircreaturewouldnotmakeagoodpet.


Ages 5–7


MaterialsStudent Magazine, sheet of paper for each student, reference materials including website links, chart paper, markers, video

Time25 minutes reading and discussion; core activity and extension time may varySubject AreasELA, Science, Social Studies

thinkaboutthisquestion.Attheendofthelesson,theywilldiscusstheirthoughtsaboutthequestion.


themturntopage13.Readthetitleofthearticlewiththem.

• Do you think there are wild animals in our neighborhood? What wild animals could live here?

2. Readtheheadingsinthearticlewithstudents.

• Based on the headings, what might we learn when we read this article?

• What does the text in the box on page 13 tell us? (howtospotsignsofwildanimals)

3. Pointoutthewordsinbold: habitats, suburbs, rural.Askstudentsiftheyknowwhatthewordsmean.Thenreadaloudtheglossarydefinitionswiththem.

4. Dependingonwherethestudentslive,theymaynotbefamiliarwithsomeoftheanimalnamesinthearticle:peregrine falcon, hedgehogs, caracal, hyena, gazelles, Indian muntjac, serow.Youmaywanttopre-teachtheseanimalnamesandshowstudentspicturesoftheanimalsbeforetheyreadthearticle.Theycanfindpicturesofsomeoftheseanimalsonpage14.

Read Havestudentsreadthearticle.Somestudentswillbeabletoreaditindependently.Otherstudentsmaybenefitfromreadingwithapartner.Youmaywanttoreadthearticletobeginningreadersastheyfollowalong.

Discuss 1. Discussthearticlewithstudentsusingthefollowing

questionprompts.

• How can you tell if there are wild animals around? (animalsounds,rustlinggrass,pawprints,trails,holes,nests,poop[scatordroppings])

• Let’s look at the clues on the list on page 13. What wild animals might leave these clues?

• What are some wild animals you might see in a neighborhood in London?(peregrinefalcons,foxes,hedgehogs,squirrels,mice)In the Arabian Peninsula?

OverviewStudentswillreadanarticletofindouthowwildanimalsliveinneighborhoodswithpeople.Theywillchooseawildanimalandresearchtheanimal’sneedstofindouthowtheyarebeingmetbytheneighborhoodhabitat.Toextendthelesson,studentswilltakeawalkingtriptoobservethewildlifeneartheirclassroom.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillhelpstudentsunderstandthattherearewildani-malsallaroundthem.Itwillalsohelpthemunderstandthattheycanobservewildanimals,buttheyshouldbecarefulnottoharmordisturbtheanimalsinanyway.


• Identifywildanimalsthatliveintheirneighborhood.• Researchawildanimalthatlivesintheirneighborhood

andfindouthowtheanimal’sneedsaremetthere.• Demonstratethewillingnesstoinformothersabout

howtominimizetheharmtheycausewildanimalsbyexplainingwhattheyshoulddowhentheyseeawildanimal.


Explainthatasstudentsworkthroughthislesson,theywill

Lesson 7: Wild Animals—In Your Neighborhood!

How can we live respectfully alongside wild animals?


• (graywolves,caracal,stripedhyenas,gazelles)In rural southern China? (mongoose,deer,Indianmuntjac,serow)

• Why is it good to have wild animals in our neighborhoods? (eatinsects,spreadseeds,addbeautytoourlives)

• Why do some people not like having wildlife nearby?(dislikehavingwildanimalsusepeople’shomesforshelterorfood,theymightmakenoise,theymightchewonthings)Why does the author say that “it’s their neighborhood, too”? (Possibleanswer:becauseanimalsneedhomesthesameaspeopledo;becausepeoplemoveintoplaceswherewildanimalslive;becausesometimeswecreatehabitatforwildanimalswhenwecreatehabitatforourselves,e.g.apondinagolfcourse,abarn,etc.)

2. Discussthesidebartextonpage15.

• This box gives us hints on what to do to see wild animals and what to do if you see a wild animal. What are some things we should do?

• What does “slow down, go around, and don’t step on” mean? (Becarefulnottohurtanykindofwildlife.)What might you be careful not to step on?(possibleanswer:insects;ananimal’shome,suchasalog;aturtleonapath,etc.)

3. Showstudentsminutes7:55–8:22inthevideo.Askstudents:

• Is the child observing wild animals respectfully? How do you think the animal feels? What would you tell the child to do instead?

Thenshowminutes8:22-8:40inthevideo.

• What is the child doing now that is respectful of wild animals? How do you think the animal feels now?


4. Havestudentsturntopage16.

• Here are some more things we can do to watch wildlife. Let’s read this list together.

• What should we remember when we want to see wildlife? (todothingsthatkeepourselvesandtheanimalssafe)

5. Havestudentsturntopage17.

• This puzzle shows pictures of children observing wildlife in their backyard. How good are you at observing? Can you spot ten small differences between the pictures?

Research SheetFood Water

Shelter Space

Activity: Wild for a Reason Poster1. Chooseawildanimalthattheclassisinterestedinthatlives

intheirneighborhood.

2. Providereferencematerialsforstudents,includingwebsitelinks,onthewildanimal.Youmayevenfindawebcamofawildanimalinyourneighborhood.

3. Havestudentsworkingroupsoftwoorthree.Havethemfoldablanksheetofpaperinhalfandtheninhalfagain.Havethemwritethewildanimal’sneedsineachbox(food,shelter,water,space).Asstudentsresearchtheanimal,havethemdraworwriteideasofhowthewildanimalisgettinghisneedsmetintheirneighborhood.

Withyoungchildren,youmaywanttodirecttheresearch,readingsectionsfromthetext,askingstudentstoparaphrasewhatyouread,andthenshowingstudentshowyoutakenotesonaresearchsheetonchartpaper.



4. Oncestudentshavefoundinformationonthewildanimal,discusswhatphysicalcharacteristicstheanimalhasthathelphimliveinhishabitat.

5. Havestudentsworkingroupsorwithapartnertocreateaninformationalposteraboutthewildanimal.Havethemdrawthewildanimalandwritetheanimal’snameasaheading.Askthemtolabelthebodypartsthathelpthewildanimalsurvive.Havethemaddpicturestoshowhowtheanimalgetsthethingsheneedsfromhishabitat:food,water,shelter,space.Forexample,studentscouldlabelatreesquirrel’stail,whichhelpsthesquirrelkeephisbalancewhenclimbingtrees,sharpclawsthathelpthesquirrelgripthetree,bigearstohearanypredatorsnearby,sharpteethtocrackthenutsthesquirreleats.Thehabitatwouldshowtreesthatprovidenutsandseedsforfood,placesforbuildingnests,leavesthatprovidethesquirrelwiththewaterheneeds,andsoon.

Askeachgroupofstudentstoaddmessagestotheposterabouthowpeoplecanliverespectfullywithwildanimalsin

theirneighborhood—forexample,turnofflightsatnight,donotdisturbwildanimals,giveawideberth,don’tlitter,protectnaturalspaces,protectstreams,etc.

Youmaywanttohelpyoungerstudentscompletetheposter.Theymightaddtheirowndrawingsorcutoutpic-turesandpastethemontheposter.Askstudentswhattheywanttowriteontheposterandrecorditforthem.Pointtoeachwordafteryouarefinishedwriting,andhavestudentsreadthetextwithyou.

6. Afterstudentshavehadachancetoresearch,create,andpresenttheirposters,discussthetargetquestion:

Howcanweliverespectfullyalongsidewildanimals?


Lesson 7 Extension: Backyard Wildlife Investigation1. Havestudentsbrainstormalistofwildanimalsthatlive

intheirneighborhood.

2. Tellstudentsthattheywillbetakingashortwalkingfieldtriparoundtheschoolortheneighborhoodtolookforthesewildanimalsorevidenceoftheseanimals.Studentsmayalsoseewildanimalsthatarenotontheirlist.

3. Beforestudentsgolookingforwildanimals,havethemcreatea“codeofconduct”forviewinganimalsontheirwalk.The“codeofconduct”shouldoutlinesimplerulesforobservingwildlifesafelyandrespectfully.Havestudentsrefertothesidebaronpage15andtheinformationonpage16asyoucreatethe“codeofconduct”together.

4. GivestudentsWorksheet 2: Observation Chart.Duringthewalkingtrip,asstudentsobservewildanimals,orevidenceofanimals,havethemmakenotesonthechart.Remindstudentsthattheymightnotseetheactualwildanimal,buttheymightseeevidenceoftheanimal,suchasafeather,anest,orpoop.Youngerstudentscandrawpicturesofwhattheyobserve,ratherthanwritingwords.


17AnimalActionEducation KeepWildAnimalsWild:StudentWorksheet

Worksheet 2: Observation ChartName:______________________________________________________Date:_________________________

Directions: Write or draw what you see.

AnimalISee Location

EvidenceISee Location WhatAnimal?

Ages 5–7


Discussthequestionswithstudents.Toensurethatallstudentsthinkaboutthequestions,youmaywanttohavepartnersdiscussthequestionsfirstbeforeopeningupthediscussionwiththewholeclass.

Post-AssessmentSeepages13–15intheProgramOverviewforapost-assessmenttohelpyouevaluatewhatyourstudentshavelearnedaboutwildanimals.

Prepare for the Project1. Discusswithstudentshowtheywillteachotherswhat

theylearnedaboutwildanimalsinthisunit.Usetheideasbelow,orideasstudentshave,toshareinformation.

2. Havestudentsconsiderthespecificaudiencetheywanttotarget.Youmaychooseforstudentstopresenttheirprojectstotheclassroom,thegreaterschoolcommunity,oranonlinecommunityforeducators.Keepinmindyourschool’sprivacypoliciesandprotectingyourstudents’privacywhensharingtheirworkorpictures/videosbeyondtheschoolsetting.

3. Determinewhatresourcesareavailableforstudentsandhowmuchtimetheywillspendontheprojects.Thiswillhelpdeterminethescopeofthestudents’projects.

Project Ideas1. Visual Arts Showcase:Havestudentschooseawildanimal

andcreateavisualrepresentationoftheanimal.Dependingonresourcesavailable,youmayhavestudentschoosefromseveralvisualartsmediums:drawing,painting,claymodels,papermodels,dioramas,andsoon.Fordrawingsandpaintings,havestudentswriteatthetopofapieceofpaper:“Iamwild,notapet.”Forthree-dimensionalmodels,havestudentswritethesentenceonasmallcardtoplaceinfrontoftheirmodel.Havestudentssharetheirartworkinoneormoreofthefollowingways:

• Sharing with students in the classroom:Havestudentssetuptheirartprojectsattheirseatlocationsalongwithablankpieceofpaperforcomments.Havestudentswalkaroundtheroom,viewingeachother’sprojectsandwritingcomplimentsaboutthework.

• Sharing with greater school community:Choosealocationintheschoolforotherstudentstoviewtheprojects.Inviteotherclassestocomeviewthestudentprojects.

Lesson 8: Culminating Project

OverviewStudentswillcreateaculminatingprojecttodemonstratetheirlearn-ingandspreadawarenessofhowtokeepwildanimalswild.

Instructional GoalThislessonwillallowstudentstodemonstratetheirunderstandingofwhatitmeanstobewildandhowpeoplecanliverespectfullyalongsidewildlife.


• Discusswhattheylearnedandanswertheessentialquestions.

• Useavarietyofmediatosharewhattheyhavelearnedintheunit.

• Demonstratethattheyarepositivelyinspiredbywildanimalsandtheenvironmentthroughartisticexpression,language,expressivethought,etc.

• Demonstratethewillingnesstoinfluenceotherstobepersonallyresponsibleforminimizingtheharmtheycauseindividualwildanimalsandpopulations.

Introduce Lesson Target QuestionWritethetargetquestionontheboardandreaditaloudtostudents.Explainthatitistimeforthemtoshowwhattheyhavelearned.

Discuss Essential Questions 1. Askstudentstoturntoapartnerandsharetheimportant

thingstheylearnedintheunit.Thenaskpartnerstosharewiththeclass.Writetheirideasonchartpaper.

2. Displaytheessentialquestionsandreadthemaloud.

• What does it mean to be wild?• How do we live respectfully alongside wildlife?

MaterialsChart paper; other materials will vary based on project selected.TimeTime will vary based on project selected.

What have we learned?


• Sharing with an online community for educators:Picturesofstudents’visualartsprojects

canbeuploadedtotheonlinecommunityforclassroomsaroundtheworldtosee.StudentsmayalsoentertheirdrawingsintheAnimalActionArtandWritingContest.Seepage10intheProgramOverviewforinformationabouttheonlinecommunityandtheartandwritingcontest.

• Class Video:Workwiththestudentstocreateavideothateveryoneintheclasscancontributeto.Inordertoteachothersabouttheideasinthisunit,ensurethevideoanswerstheunit’sessentialquestions:“Whatdoesitmeantobewild?”and“Howdoweliverespectfullyalongsidewildlife?”Havestudentssharetheirvideoinoneormoreofthefollowingways:

• Sharing with students in classroom: Viewthecompletedvideointheclassroom.

• Sharing with greater school community:Presentthevideoatanassemblyorinviteclassestoviewthevideointheclassroom.

• Sharing with an online community for educators:Thevideocanbeuploadedtotheonline

communityforclassroomsaroundtheworldtosee.2. ABC Wild Animal Book:Assigneachstudentaletterfrom

thealphabetandhelpthemchooseawildanimalwhosenamebeginswiththatlettertoreadaboutanddraw.Giveeachstudentapieceofpaperthatincludesthelettertheyareassigned,showninlargetype,andthephrase:“Iamwildbecause…”

Havestudentsreadabouttheirwildanimalsfromtextoronlineresources.Thenhavethemdrawtheirwildanimalonthepaperandwritewhatmakestheanimalwild.

Whenstudentsarefinished,collectthepapersandcreateaclassABCwildanimalbook.Sharetheclassbookinoneormoreofthefollowingways:

• Sharing with students in classroom:Readthebookaloudandthenplaceitintheclassroomlibraryforstudentstoreadontheirown.

• Sharing with greater school community: Placetheclassbookintheschoollibraryorothercommonplaceforotherstudentstoread.

• Sharing with an online community for educators: Scanpagesfromthebookandupload

themtotheonlinecommunityforclassroomsaroundthe

worldtosee.• Class Skit: Workwiththestudentstocreateaskitthat

highlightswhattheylearnedintheunit.Ensuretheskitanswerstheunit’sessentialquestions:“Whatdoesitmeantobewild?”and“Howdoweliverespectfullyalongsidewildlife?”

• Sharing with greater school community:Havestudentsperformtheirskitatanassemblyorforotherindividualclasses.

• Sharing with an online community for educators: Videotapeaperformanceandupload

ittotheonlinecommunityforclassroomsaroundtheworldtosee.

3. Mural: Chooseaspotintheschooltocreateamural.Tellstudentstheywillworktogethertocreateamuralthattellsotherstudentshowtheycanobservewildlifeinasafeandrespectfulway.Explainthatthemuralwillcontainthefollowingelements:• Abackgroundthatshowsaparticularenvironment,like

abackyard,aforest,oracityblock• Wildanimalsthatliveintheenvironment• Childrenand/oradultsfollowingoneormoreofthe

“BeAwareandTakeCare”guidelinesfrompage15intheStudentMagazine

• Alabelortitlethattellshowtoobservewildlifesafelyandrespectfully

4. Class Display: Providewallspaceand/oratableforstudentstodisplaytheworktheyhavecompletedduringtheunit—forexample,thepoemstheycreated,theirwildcreaturedrawings,their“whatalionneeds”diagrams.Inviteotherclassestocomeinandviewtheirwork,whilestudentstalkaboutwhattheydid.

5. Celebration: Helpstudentsplana“GoWild!”partyandinviteparentsandotherstudents.Havestudentsconsider:• Whotheywillinvite• Whattheirpartyinvitationswilllooklikeandsay• Howtheywilldecoratetheirclassroom• Howtheywilleducateothersaboutwhattheyhave

learned• Whatgames/food/activitiestheywillprovide

Ifstudentscreatesomeoftheotherprojectideas,suchastheABCbook,visualarts,ortheclassvideo,thepartywouldbeagoodtimeforthemtosharetheirworkwithothers.


keep wild animals wild: wonderfully wild!...ages 5–7 animal action education keep wild animals...

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