Ben Gesch  

Text Set 

Animals, Wildlife Protection, and Conservation  

Summary: This article humorously draws the comparison between mythical creatures and real

life species that are endangered of extinction. Though there is a difference between being

fictional and no longer existing, the end result is unfortunately similar.

iWrite: Reflect on this cartoon. What message is the author trying to convey? Is this cartoon

funny or upsetting? Do you think humor can be used to express a more serious message?

Concerns: Younger kids may not understand the relationship between humor and activism.

Some students might not grasp the distinction between a mythical creature and an extinct

species.

Ways to overcome: Make the distinction between a fantasy and extinct animal. Bone to

evidence of an extinct animal’s existent (i.e. the bones). Also point out the similarities that

neither currently exists on our planet. Help students point out examples of when humor can be

used to convey and important message.

 

List of Plants & Animals in Georgia  

More than 4,000 species of plants and animals rely on Georgia's various habitats to survive and grow, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia, a project of the Georgia Humanities Council. The state breaks down into several different regions that extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Different plants and animals live in these various regions that include the swamps of the coastal plains, the rolling forested hills of the piedmont and the mountainous areas in the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian Mountains. 

Water 

The American Alligator thrives in the swampy areas of the state where it feeds on snakes, fish, turtles and other small animals. About 12,000 alligators live in the blackwater swamps of Stephen C. Foster State Park (gastateparks.org) alone. The female lays from 30 to 60 eggs in a hole up to 3 feet deep. Once she covers the hole with moss, sticks and leaves, the female splashes water on the nest, and the sun heats the damp pile, helping incubate the eggs. As soon as the babies are born, they start making clucking noises. The mother hears the noise, then returns to the nest and removes the debris on top of the nest, and the little alligators can head to the water. 

Land 

Black bears live in Georgia's swamps and mountainous areas. Bears eat both plants and other animals, including berries, nuts, fish, eggs, small animals and insects. A large adult bear can weigh up to 300 lbs. Another mammal that lives in the forest and the swampy areas of the state includes white­tailed deer. White­tailed deer reach up to 300 lbs., with the males growing antlers that start out as short nubs in the spring. By the winter, the antlers fall off, and the process of growing new antlers starts all over. 

Trees 

Several dozen species of medium­ to large­sized trees grow in the state, including sugar maple trees that produce brilliant shades of color in the fall. Yellow buckeye grows in northern Georgia where it gets plenty of moisture to reach up to 60 feet in height. Black walnut trees grow along stream banks and in flood plains where they produce nuts that wildlife find highly edible. Look for Eastern Red cedar along the edges of swamps and flood plains where it grows up to 20 feet wide. Round, spiny balls make the sweet gum tree easily recognized. The tree's leaves change to shades of red, yellow and purple in the fall. Birds eat the seeds contained in the balls. 

Wildflowers 

Wildflowers thrive in Georgia, including the nodding wild onion with its cluster of white flowers that gradually turn purple on top of a low­growing stem. The flower blooms from late June through mid­August. Wild columbine bloom in late spring, producing dangling orange­red flowers. Several species of milkweed, including red and common, grow in the state where the plants appeal to butterflies. Wild lupine with its stalks covered in deep blue to purple flowers grows in dry, sandy or gravelly soil where it attract caterpillars of the Karner Blue butterfly, an endangered species. 

Summary: This article lists a few of Georgia’s prominent wildlife inhabitants and there interaction’s with each other and the environment.  

Activity: Aniticipation Guide 

iWrite: Looking back at your Anticipation Guide what statement were you the most confident about? What statements were you unsure of? After reading the article out loud in class, what answers were you most surprised by? What does this article say about the relationship of plants and animals to their environment? 

Concerns: The tie in with wildlife protection may not be directly apparent to the student.  

Ways to overcome: Highlighting the importance of the environment for wildlife protection. 

Or will the Dreamer Wake? – a poem about endangered species Out in the East the jungle listens The tigress, plaintive, growls in pain, The great trees hear her breathing, shaking Inside her still, the new lives wait. These cubs could be the last ones ever To freely live and roam and mate. Our grandchild knows the tiger never Or will the dreamer wake?

Far in the North the white bear snuffles Down in her lair the gleaming snow She waits for all the life she’s making Outside the crashing glaciers grow. These cubs could be the last cubs ever To freely live and roam and mate. Our grandchild knows the white bear never Or will the dreamer wake?

There in the West the song thrush warbles She weaves her nest to hold her clutch A long wait now to find a partner The eggs are laid, there are not much. These chicks could be the last ones ever The last to fly and sing and mate. Our grandchild knows the song thrush never Or will the dreamer wake?

Deep in Ocean South the whale swims Her song of birthing fills the seas Thousands of creatures wait the moment The solemn birth that they will see. This child could sing the final whale song The last to make the oceans shake. Our grandchild never hears its mystery Or will the dreamer wake?

Here in the centre, four directions gather The path ahead leads up or down Is this our last bright new world birthing? Is this our waving as we drown? This could be our last true moment Knowing the truth, our choices make. Our grandchild asks “That was the moment! And did the dreamer wake?

Medora Chevalier

Or Will The Dreamer Wake? This poem deals with the possibility of our grandchildren not being able to experience some of the wonders of the animal kingdom. The author calls upon the dreamer to wake up so that many of our beloved animal species can be saved from the fate of extinction.

iWrite: Who do you think the dreamer in this poem? Who do you think is the grandchild? What message do you think the author is trying to convey through this poem? What are your thoughts on the last line of the poem?

Concerns: This poem is a little bit on the long side. The message is there, but you have to be able to also help educate students on what they can do to help protect endangered species and the environment. This is a poem that requires my students of a certain age group to think metaphorical about topics.

How to overcome: Read the paragraphs of the poem one at a time to find common themes and messages of the whole poem. Talk about the power of metaphorical messages and how they can be applied to real life situations. Educate students on how they can empower themselves to be environmentally conscious in their day to day life.

First ever aerial footage of uncontacted Amazon tribe released.

http://www.uncontactedtribes.org/brazilfootage

Summary: This video displays powerful aerial footage of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon through the use of a long distance camera. The motivation of the director is to show the world that the clearing of rainforests not only affects animals but people as well.

iWrite: Did you know there were tribes living in the rainforest that had no contact with the outside world? How are these tribes threatened by the impact of industrialization and globalization? What risks do we take by contacting these tribes? Think about risks for them?

Concerns: The students may associate these tribes with pop cultures portrayal of “Indians” or savages. Students may be unaware of issues pertaining to immune systems and the spreading of disease.

Ways to overcome: Teach students about the importance of respected different cultures and ways of life. Make references to the Native Americans and how disease was a major factor in wiping out large population of tribes when Europeans introduced them after Columbus arrived. Make the distinction between Indians, Native Americans, and indigenous tribes of the Amazon.

Summary: This picture depicts five members of an uncontacted tribe in the Amazon Rainforest. The picture highlights on their environment and other aspects of their daily lives.  

iWrite: What are some of the things you notice in this picture? Think about this in terms of their environment, what they are wearing, what they are holding, and other supplies that you notice. Based on your findings, what assumptions can you make about this tribe? 

Concerns: Getting students to look closely at the picture to identify certain elements such as food, clothing, and body paint. Helping students (with my limited knowledge) understand how these aspects of the picture lead to a better understanding of this tribe’s history and culture. 

Ways to overcome: As a teacher, help point out certain aspects of the picture that lead to a possible better understanding of these people’s way of life. Help to make sure that students to make assumptions or accusations based on things not representative of this picture. As a teacher research the history of similar tribes to have a better understanding of how these people live and where they come from.  

My Journey Through The Rainforest (Short Story)

by Nabeeha Rana, Hunter Valley Grammar School - Australia My Journey through the Rainforest The deep dense forest, where I found myself walking, was the location of my camp. I could hear the tweeting of the birds and insects. My skin felt warm. The trees were as tall as the mountains in the valley. The smell was fresh, but the air was humid. Leaves from trees branches in the trees felt wet from the last nights dewdrops. I kept walking because of my curiosity to discover new things. I suddenly stopped because there was a long river in front of me. I knew walking around it would take too long, but swimming through it would be very dangerous, since I was not sure what was in the rapid water. I decided to cut down several branches from the trees to build a raft and paddle across the river. Finally, I crossed the river on my not so stable raft. As I continued on my journey, I entered a dark cave. Inside, I found a sleeping bear, so I sneaked back out. It was becoming dark and cold. I felt scared because of the noises the nocturnal animals, insects and birds were making. I used my bright torch to find my way back to camp. Soon the battery of my torch had run out. After a long walk, I could see the light from the campfire my friends had lit. When I reached the river, my friends had cut down a log and placed across the river, so it was easy to cross. As I arrived, we had something to eat, while we told each other spooky stories. It was late, and so it was time to go to sleep. In the morning, when we woke up, we all brushed our teeth, changed our clothes and packed for the walk home. This was an experience that I will never forget. The End By Nabeeha Rana Hunter Valley Grammar School- Australia Grade 4

Summary: This is a short story written by a 4th grader of her “adventures” in the rainforest. In class I presented this without any information regarding the author or its source.

iWrite: Choose one

A. Pose questions that will help you figure out who wrote this. Find evidence to help you answer these questions. Do you think this is a true story? Why or why not? Give examples from the text.

B. Based on what we have learned about rainforests so far, write your own short story about YOUR journey in the rainforest.

Concerns: Keeping the students on track. Getting them to feel comfortable writing their own work of fiction.

Ways to overcome: Guide the student along, helping them to find evidence or lack thereof for the in the text in terms of who the author is and whether this story is fiction or nonfiction. If they are not comfortable writing a story, present other means of creative knowledge display, such as poems, songs, or drawings.

Song: Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”

MICHAEL JACKSON LYRICS

Play Music

"Man In The Mirror"  

I'm Gonna Make A Change, For Once In My Life

It's Gonna Feel Real Good, Gonna Make A Difference Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My

Favourite Winter Coat This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind I See The Kids In The Street,

With Not Enough To Eat Who Am I, To Be Blind? Pretending Not To See

Their Needs A Summer's Disregard,

A Broken Bottle Top And A One Man's Soul

They Follow Each Other On The Wind Ya' Know

'Cause They Got Nowhere To Go

That's Why I Want You To Know

I'm Starting With The Man In

The Mirror I'm Asking Him To Change

His Ways And No Message Could Have

Been Any Clearer If You Wanna Make The World

A Better Place (If You Wanna Make The

World A Better Place) Take A Look At Yourself, And

Then Make A Change (Take A Look At Yourself, And

Then Make A Change) (Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,

Na Nah)

Summary: This song is about the power of the individual. The message is directly in the lyrics when he sings, “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.”

iWrite: What do you think is the message of the song? Who creates change in a society? How do these people go about doing this? If you could write/sing a similar song, what would like to see changed?

Concerns: Getting the students to think critically about the song, instead of just dancing and singing along. Getting them to apply the message to the issues in class and broader aspects of the society we live in.

Ways to overcome: Present the lyrics along with the song in order to help them critically analyze the message. Point out individuals and other grassroots organization that have successfully created positive change in their communities and the world. Help to empower the student to think about themselves as agents of change.

Check out these interesting rainforest facts, and then test your knowledge with a quiz!

FACTS ABOUT RAINFORESTS Do you know how many tropical rainforest plants have been identified as having anti-cancer properties? Or how many continents around the world contain rainforests? And just how quickly are the world's rainforests disappearing?

Find out the answers to these questions and more as you check out these interesting rainforest facts! And when you think that you know all there is to know about the rainforest, test your knowledge with our rainforest quiz.

FACTS ABOUT THE GLOBAL COVERAGE OF RAINFORESTS ● Covering less than 2 percent of the Earth's total surface area, the world's rainforests

are home to 50 percent of the Earth's plants and animals.

● Rainforests can be found all over the world from as far north as Alaska and Canada to Latin America, Asia and Africa.

● Rainforests are found on every continent across the Earth, except Antarctica.

● There are two major types of rainforest: temperate rainforests and tropical rainforests.

● The largest temperate rainforests are found on North America's Pacific Coast and stretch from Northern California up into Canada.

● Temperate rainforests used to exist on almost every continent in the world, but today only 50 percent — 75 million acres — of these forests remain worldwide.

FACTS ABOUT THE RAINFOREST AS PART OF OUR GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT AND WELL-BEING

● Rainforests act as the world's thermostat by regulating temperatures and weather patterns.

● One-fifth of the world's fresh water is found in the Amazon Basin.

● Rainforests are critical in maintaining the Earth's limited supply of drinking and fresh water.

FACTS ABOUT THE ABUNDANT LIFE AND IMPORTANT RESOURCES THAT RAINFORESTS SHARE WITH US

● A typical four-square-mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies.

● Rainforests provide many important products for people: timber, coffee, cocoa and many medicinal products, including those used in the treatment of cancer.

● Seventy percent of the plants identified by the U.S. National Cancer Institute as useful in the treatment of cancer are found only in rainforests.

● More than 2,000 tropical forest plants have been identified by scientists as having anti-cancer properties.

● Less than one percent of the tropical rainforest species have been analyzed for their medicinal value.

FACTS ABOUT THE THREATS TO RAINFORESTS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND SPECIES

● Rainforests are threatened by unsustainable agricultural, ranching, mining and logging practices.

● Before 1500 A.D., there were approximately 6 million indigenous people living in the Brazilian Amazon. But as the forests disappeared, so too did the people. In the early 1900s, there were less than 250,000 indigenous people living in the Amazon.

● Originally, 6 million square miles of tropical rainforest existed worldwide. But as a result of deforestation, only 2.4 million square miles remain.

● At the current rate of tropical forest loss, 5–10 percent of tropical rainforest species will be lost per decade.

● Nearly 90 percent of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty worldwide depend on forests for their livelihoods.

● Fifty-seven percent of the world's forests, including most tropical forests, are located in developing countries.

● Between 2000 and 2012, 2.3 million square kilometers of forests around the world were cut down. That's roughly the size of all of the states in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.

WANT TO TEST YOUR RAINFOREST KNOWLEDGE? Now that you've learned all about the rainforest, see if you can answer the questions in ourrainforest quiz.

Summary: From the Nature Conservancy, this article lists of interesting facts pertaining to the rainforest, its wildlife, global coverage, resources, and destruction.

Activity: Online group quiz to access our reading and understanding

iWrite: List 3 important facts that you learned about the rainforest. One has to do with land coverage, one with wildlife, and one other of your choice. What is the most interesting fact you learned from the reading? Did you get all the quiz questions right? What answer surprised you the most.

Concerns: There are a lot of numbers and facts in this article. The students won’t have a printout of the questions to look at. Getting the students to pay attention to the questions, recall what they read and search for answers they are unsure of.

Ways to overcome: Read the question one at a time and take the time necessary to identify a confident answer. Help guide students when they are unsure of or inaccurately recalling the text. Help students make the distinction between different types of number representations (millions, percent), and what they mean.